What Is Senior Village?
The Friendly Contact team is an important volunteer team.
Linda Hampton, Executive Director
Senior Village at SaddleBrooke is one of many villages across the United States. According to the Village-to-Village website, villages are well positioned to improve daily life in the communities they serve. In the United States, roughly one in three people older than 65 live alone, and half of those older than 85 live alone. The village model works. Village members consistently report a positive impact on their well-being and quality of life as a direct result of their participation in their Village.
The village model is exactly what SaddleBrooke residents Gary Hammond and Dick Fleming were looking for back in 2015 when they first had the idea to start Senior Village here. Their intent was to foster “aging in place” and independence for seniors. By May 2016, there were about 40 volunteers and 200 members. Today there are 390 volunteers (including those who deliver the SaddleBag Notes) and 1,700 members.
Who is Senior Village?
We are your neighbors. “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” is our motto, and all services are provided by people who live right here in SaddleBrooke. The compassion and talent of this community is nothing short of amazing. Senior Village now has several volunteer teams with many skills.
From the first volunteers who provided a lift to the doctor or changed an air filter, we have added a Moving On team to offer support when the decision is made to seek a different living arrangement outside of SaddleBrooke. The Home Automation team can help install an Alexa (virtual assistant technology) or program a tricky TV remote. The newest team, Forms and Documents, helps with the organization and processing of important legal documents. Talented SaddleBrooke residents provide musical entertainment during pleasant afternoons hosted by Senior Village.
Where is Senior Village?
This question is harder to answer. In seven years of serving the SaddleBrooke community, we have not had an office. Six part-time employees work from their homes, and the executive director uses a small casita office. Meeting space is sought after in the two clubhouses, so finding a place for a private meeting with the family of an aging member can be problematic.
That may soon change if the dream of a permanent office in SaddleBrooke materializes. Senior Village is committed to a future of providing service to the residents of SaddleBrooke.