The Village Common of RI adds Aquidneck Island Village to its state network for older adults

Aquidneck Island Village is now a reality.

The agreement to become a part of The Village Common of RI was signed at Child & Family Agency in Middletown on June 20, and, on June 24, Aquidneck Island Village opened to receive requests from members for services for the first time.

More than 60 representatives from agencies caring for seniors, R.I. state legislative members, as well as members and volunteers of Aquidneck Island Village, board members of The Village Common, plus invited guests attended the festive signing event.

A Steering Committee of local residents has been working over the past year with The Village Common of RI to form a village for older adults in Newport, Middletown and Portsmouth.  Anna Barbieri, Mary Alice Smith, Liz Minifie, Catherine Hillery, Pauline Perkins-Moye, Judi Tisdall, Joe Vignone, and Joan Zuerner from Newport; Nancy Peresta and Matt McEntee from Middletown; and Nicki Trilling, Sheila McEntee, and Kathleen Burke from Portsmouth comprise the AIV Steering Committee.

Aquidneck Island Village will help people stay active, connected, and independent in their own homes and communities as they age with the support of a network of volunteers. The concept is neighbors helping neighbors in a formal, sustainable organization of mutual support. Older adults can get trusted help when they need it and also stay social, preventing the negative effects of isolation. 

Volunteers for Aquidneck Island Village are now available to help members with some of the challenges people experience as they age: getting to medical appointments, running errands, shopping, doing minor household projects, using technology, and finding opportunities for social interaction. The Aquidneck Island Village is seeking members and volunteers to fill a variety of these roles, including serving on committees.

The Village Common of RI is a volunteer-driven, membership based, nonprofit organization with villages across Rhode Island in Barrington, Burrillville, Edgewood (Cranston), Gloucester, Providence and Westerly. Each village has members and the volunteers who assist them, supported by the small administrative staff of The Village Common of RI. People can be both members and volunteers. 

Formed in Providence in 2015, The Village Common of RI was inspired by the first village created by neighbors in the Beacon Hill section of Boston in 2002. These friends developed a formal network of volunteers available to help members with some of the challenges people experience as they age.

Each village reflects the needs of older adults in the community in which it operates. For instance, transportation is a big issue in Burrillville, so the Burrillville Village supports members primarily with transport. Villages are increasingly serving older adults in under-resourced communities with diverse populations, and most subsidize membership fees for older adults. Members of Rhode Island villages pay dues based on what is financially manageable for them. The Village Common of Rhode Island never wants membership fees to be a barrier.

Collaborations and partnerships enable Villages to leverage their resources and better serve older adults. Villages partner with health care agencies and providers, senior centers, educational institutions, service clubs, for-profit businesses, faith-based groups, and organizations in the aging services network. They strive not to duplicate services, but rather enhance connections to resources.

Learn more about joining Aquidneck Island Village as a volunteer or member – contact [email protected] or call Aquidneck Island Village at (401) 684-1662.

For more information: www.villagecommonri.org.