Why do villages work?
Villages have passed the test of time. The Sierra Foothills Village is part of a 20-year-old nationwide movement devoted to easing the challenges of aging. Over 400 villages in 45 states are empowering older adults to remain safely independent at home and meaningfully tied to the community.
A national nonprofit, the Village to Village Network, provides connections among villages to share materials, evolving models and time-tested solutions to many of the common challenges of aging in community.
Village Movement California (VMC), a consortium of 65-plus villages in our state, gives us support on many timely issues. With VMC, we are offering input about aging in rural communities for California's Master Plan on Aging.
Villages have been studied for many years by both the University of California, Berkeley, School of Social Welfare and Mather Lifeways. Several studies underscore measurable value offered by villages.
And villages have been richly featured on national and local TV and in the print media.