Convention at Baltimore’s Hyatt Regency Celebrates 15 Years of Aging In Place
Village At Home, Northern Baltimore City’s grassroots non-profit that enables older and physically limited adults to live full lives at home, is helping to celebrate 15 years of the national Village movement. The National Village Gathering will welcome 350 Village organizers and members from across the country November 6-8, 2017 at the Hyatt Regency Inner Harbor.
For the past six years, Village At Home has offered members the unique opportunity to remain in the homes they love for a nominal fee. They provide volunteer and vendor services that handle the daily tasks that can become too burdensome to overcome. Volunteers help members with chores like taking out the recycling, changing light bulbs, replacing weatherstripping, decorating a tree for the holidays or even setting up an email or social media account. They can assist with transportation to the grocery store, salon, a doctor’s appointment or the mall. For more complex tasks, Village At Home’s vetted list of vendors can assist with the responsibilities that become too much for many elderly homeowners. From raking leaves and mowing the lawn, to repairs and annual maintenance, their vendors often meet with homeowners and volunteers to make sure all sides understand the scope of work and the terms of an agreement.
Village At Home is one of 230 villages across the country, each one created to cater to the specific older adult residents in the communities they support. Over 350 will be in attendance at the National Gathering. Created in Boston’s Beacon Hill neighborhood in 2002, the movement has continued to grow as older Americans elect to stay in their homes and not move to a retirement community. But while they want to stay in their homes, the support network often isn’t available. Their children often live many hours away, neighbors aren’t as involved as they once were and friends may also be unable to visit as much as they’d like. An AARP survey revealed 90% of older Americans wanted to remain in their homes and the Village model is an easy and affordable way to make that a reality.
“We’re thrilled to have the National Gathering here in Baltimore,” said Village At Home Executive Director Susan Newhouse. “It allows us to showcase our own successful Village, which I started six years ago after hearing about the original group in Boston, while also promoting a more positive image of Charm City. As more older North Baltimore residents choose to keep their homes and not move to a retirement community, Village At Home is the perfect organization to help them and their families find security, support and reassurance.”
Village At Home has been involved in the planning of the National Village Gathering since 2016, when the convention was announced. They have helped the Village to Village Network choose local restaurants and venues for various events, and have made specific recommendations for tourist attractions that might best appeal to Gathering attendees.
For more information about Village At Home, the Village movement or the National Village Gathering, please contact Roger Mecca at Weinberg Harris & Associates.
About Village At Home:
The mission of Village At Home is to build a supportive community for all ages, with an initial focus on providing activities and services for older adults and persons with disabilities so that they may have the practical means and the confidence to live full lives in their homes and neighborhoods. Uniquely created for its North Baltimore neighborhoods, Village At Home is governed by its members and positioned to be responsive to their specific needs. Village At Home is also part of the growing Village movement in the United States. We were chosen by Baltimore Magazine as one of its 10 Visions to Change Baltimore (for the Better!) in 2012
