Dear Village Leaders and Supporters, I’m writing to share that after 13 years, I have stepped down as Executive Director of San Francisco Village (SFV). Building this extraordinary community with our members and supporters has been the privilege of my lifetime. Today, SFV is a community of well over 1000 people: 700 members, 250 multi-generational Read More
Jewish villages are transforming how synagogues support older adults. It started with ChaiVillageLA in 2016 and is followed by three other temple-based villages in the Los Angeles area — Chai Neighbors in Valley Village, TJVillage in Tarzana, and Or Ami Village in Calabasas. These community networks are part of California’s 50-strong village movement. Rabbi Laura Read More
Older adults are especially vulnerable to natural disasters. “For older individuals who live on their own, the risk is that they will not be able to leave their homes, said Carolyn Ross, co-executive director of the Village Movement California, a coalition of 50 neighborhood-based community organizations that provide community programming and expertise to help older Read More
Despite recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Village Movement California looks forward to a transformative 2025 for aging in community. Our newly formatted newsletter includes LA villages’ wildfire updates, news about our Village Accelerator launch and National Village Recognition Day, plus statewide village updates and aging resources. We’re grateful to our 2024 supporters whose generosity helped Read More
Studies show that an awful lot of people are struggling with loneliness these days. According to Our Epidemic of Loneliness, a 2023 report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, about half of all US adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness on a regular basis. In the last few decades, living in solitude has become Read More
Thanks to your support, 2024 has been a transformative year for empowering older adults to age well in their chosen communities across California. Our achievements highlighted below reflect significant growth and impact: We deepened our work in caregiving support and currently have seven new communities developing villages through our Incubator Program. We expanded our advocacy Read More
California’s first statewide LGBTQIA+ older adult survey reveals 86% of respondents report high quality of life. The 2024 “From Challenges to Resilience” survey gathered data from over 4,000 participants statewide, as adults over 60 are projected to make up 25% of California’s population by 2030. An estimated 5% of these older adults identify as LGBTQIA+. Read More
Did you know that 6.7 million Californians are caregivers? As our older adult population grows, so does the critical need for community-based care solutions. This is where villages make a profound difference. Villages are intentional communities where neighbors help neighbors sustain independence and remain in charge of their lives as they age. Our statewide network Read More
Pictured – Erick Larson, VMC Co-Executive Director; Kate Hoepke, VMC Board Chair; Carolyn Ross, VMC Co-Executive Director, and Patrick Shandrick, VMC Communications Manager Dear Members and Supporters of Village Movement California, As Village Movement California (VMC) continues to grow in our mission to empower older adults across the state, we are evolving our leadership to Read More
FOR FULL CONFERENCE RECAP INCLUDING LINKS TO PRESENTATION VIDEOS & SLIDES, VISIT HERE. Over 100 attendees from across California, as well as representatives from two Washington DC area villages, joined our 6th Annual Statewide Conference held at the West Health Institute in La Jolla, CA. We had a great time connecting, sharing insights, engaging Read More