Arlington Villages Project
Working to make Arlington your home for a lifetime
Our parents’ generation often looked forward to retiring to Florida or other warmer climes. But what if you already love where you live and want to stay put in retirement?
The Arlington Villages Project is working to establish a network of neighborhood villages throughout the County that will enable you and your neighbors to remain in your own community, helping one another make Arlington your home for a lifetime. We can use your help – especially if you have expertise in grant writing, graphic design, information technology support, webpage design, and assessing senior service needs.

The Village Concept

The Village movement began in 2001 in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. There are now at least 89 villages across the country, including at least 15 in the DC metro area. Currently, there are none in Arlington.

A Village is not a structure! It is a network of neighbors helping neighbors—residents getting together to offer assistance and support to those who may need it. Villages are volunteer-organized and member-driven. They are managed and operated almost entirely by volunteers with programs and assistance based on the needs of a given community. Members, generally residents who are 55+, pay annual dues to cover basic operational expenses.

Village services may include daily check-in contact, rides to medical appointments, computer assistance, emergency pet care, social activities & events, and referrals to other services & programs.

The possibilities are endless and so are the potential benefits, like fostering multi-generational community connections and enabling residents to remain in their homes and maintain neighborhood ties and friendships.

The Vision for Arlington County

Most of the Villages springing up around the country depend solely upon the efforts of those in a particular neighborhood to organize and sustain the endeavor. It can take several years of planning before a village is operational.
The Arlington Villages Project is taking a different approach by planning a central administrative infrastructure—a 501c3 non-profit hub—to support the many neighborhood villages that may one day want to organize in Arlington. Once established, the hub's infrastructure will enable Arlington's local villages to begin operations quickly, focusing their energy on the delivery of services within the neighborhood. Further, to ensure that all interested Arlingtonians can participate, the hub will serve as an umbrella village, providing village services to members who do not live in a neighborhood with a local village.
Here’s where YOU come in…

Right now, The Arlington Villages Project is in its infancy, working to establish an infrastructure and launch some pilot Villages next year. Residents in Arlington Ridge/Aurora Hills, Arlington Forest/Boulevard Manor/Glencarlyn, and Nauck are leading the way, working to establish three Villages in 2014.

You can be part of this community-building project—part of making sure that your own neighborhood Village will be there for you when you need it. You can help create one of these pilot Villages or get involved more broadly in laying the foundation for all the Arlington Neighborhood Villages to be developed in years to come.

The Arlington Villages Project needs volunteers in a variety of areas. There is an immediate and critical need for volunteers with experience in grant writing, IT support, webpage design, graphic design, and assessing senior service needs.

If you’re looking to volunteer, opportunities abound that not only give to your community, but also offer you a realistic way of remaining where you love to live. Contact us at volunteer@arlingtonvillages.org. Find out more at:

www.arlingtonvillages.org

This project operates under the auspices of the Wisdom Works Program of the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation.
April 18, 2013