The New York Times says, “An offshoot of the sharing economy, virtual villages are popping up all over the country. Currently, there are 190 villages in 40 states, … [with] another 185 virtual villages on the drawing boards as baby boomers … begin gravitating towards them.
Month: June 2016
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When Carmen Salas answered an ad for her job as Communications Associate, she moved from educational administration into the multi-faceted world of the Village. For more than a year Carmen, who is comfortably bi-lingual, has cheerfully interacted with Village members and become convinced that her career path will always be the non-profit world where people come first.
After living for years in Florida, Dorothy French moved to Chicago to be near her daughter’s family. She loves to play bridge, but there aren’t enough bridge players in the supportive living facility where she lives. “She needed to get to know more people and find more ways to socialize,” says her daughter, Gertrude Lyons. Then Village member Karen Terry told Gertrude about The Village Chicago.
“The key thing was that they had a bridge group.” Gertrude urged her mother to join the Village and she did. Now Dorothy plays cards with the Village’s bridge group every Monday. Bridge keeps her mind active and provides a regular opportunity to socialize with new friends. Because the bridge group meets in the comfort of various members’ homes, it also adds beauty and variety to Dorothy’s daily experience – a gift for both mother and daughter.
When Peggy Walker’s son decided to transition eight years ago, Peggy’s first and greatest fear was for his safety. But for a number of years Eli had pursued an academic as well as a personal interest in transgender issues. He was sensitive to what the experience would be like for his mother and they were able to successfully navigate the change together.
Through friendships and the profound experience with her son, Peggy has a heightened awareness of the environment surrounding LGBTQA adults, and so when the Village needed someone to head up an LGBTQA Task Force, she readily accepted. The Task Force is exploring ways in which the Village can support the unique needs of aging LGBTQA adults. They are currently developing joint programs with Howard Brown Health and the Gerber Hart Library
Peggy says, “Inclusiveness and recognition of communities with special needs are part of the Village’s DNA.”
When Bob Spoerri joined The Village Chicago, he had just taken on a challenging new position, managing a start-up company. Bob had been involved in entrepreneurial ventures all of his working life, and, like his new business, the Village was a pioneering venture that he wanted to help build. He served as the Village’s Treasurer for its first six years, and saw it become one of the most successful Villages in the nation. Bob is still working, having famously flunked retirement three times while his wife Emily is an active Village member, both a volunteer driver and a participant in the weekly bridge group. Bob says, “My commitment to helping establish the Village was a way to invest in the community so that it can be there for others now and will be there for me when I finally do retire.”