Welcome to Community Village Lawrence
Community Village Lawrence, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, is a membership-based service that brings new strengths to the sense of community in Lawrence, Kansas. Any Lawrence resident who wishes to age in their home but feels they may need extra support is welcome to join.
Become a member or volunteer for Community Village Lawrence and join a strong and growing community: volunteer to help your neighbors, receive support from other neighborhood volunteers, and rely on service providers that care about Lawrence residents and are investing in the community.
Our Mission
The mission of Community Village Lawrence is to enhance the quality of life for the entire community by helping neighbors remain in their homes as they age. We do this by creating a network of supports following the Village model to make aging at home a long-term, affordable option.
A Day in the Life of a Member of Community Village Lawrence
It’s Tuesday morning and Barb wakes up as she has been for the past 16 years, in her own bedroom and on her own schedule in her North Lawrence home. She goes through her usual routine, fixing breakfast and coffee, feeding her two cats their morning meal, and settling into her chair with the newspaper. She knows at 10:00 she can expect her daily reassurance call, a program she enrolled in after a fall in the Spring that made her realize she needed more support to live alone. She’s familiar with the three volunteers who rotate calling her every morning. Barb knows that if she doesn’t answer, they know how to follow through to make sure she’s safe.
At 2:00, Eric, a volunteer from the Village who lives in her neighborhood is coming to weed her vegetable garden. In exchange for garden help, she checks on Eric’s dog while he’s at work during the day and takes him for a walk around noon.
At 4:00 she gets a call from Village staff asking if she’s available to give an Old West Lawrence resident, Beth, a ride to a doctor’s appointment as Beth’s daughter is sick today and unable to take her. Barb has signed up for Tuesday afternoon transportation and happily picks up Beth. On the way they find out they are both interested in going to an upcoming showing of Fiddler on the Roof at the University of Kansas and decide to contact the Village staff later to send out information to other members and possibly arrange a discount and carpool transportation to the event.
She takes Beth home after her appointment and goes for her regular walk around her neighborhood, thinking about the next day. On the walk, she decides to call the Village tomorrow to connect to a reliable handyman to check out her washer that has been making a strange noise. After settling into the evening in her own home, Beth falls asleep secure, feeling connected to her neighbors and knowing Community Village Lawrence will check in with her tomorrow.
Community Village Lawrence provides seniors affordable access to an array of services and activities; allowing members to retain an independent lifestyle, as they age comfortably in their own homes.
Community Village Lawrence utilizes pre-approved, discounted service providers and vetted volunteers for transportation, home maintenance, technical support, companionship and more.
Community Village Lawrence members are one phone call away from receiving assistance, as well as connecting to social and educational activities that interest them.
Community Village Lawrence is part of a successful movement of Villages nationwide with the purpose of meeting the needs and enhancing quality of life of its members. For more information on Villages, visit: www.vtvnetwork.org or http://www.healthycal.org/archives/8060
Collaborators: Community Village Lawrence is the result of a collaboration between various groups including Douglas County Senior Services, Independence Inc., AARP Kansas, and the Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging.
What others are saying: “I'm delighted there's a well organized group in our own community with the energy and skills to establish a pilot Village here: hopefully the first of what might be several Villages in Douglas County adapted to different neighborhoods over time.” –Nancy Thellman, Douglas County Commissioner, Second District
“The alternatives to aging in place for thousands of Lawrence citizens are financially out of reach,” says Dennis Domer, New Cities project director, "not only for them but also for our governments that cannot sustain them in assisted living and skilled nursing homes through Medicaid funds. Community Village Lawrence offers Lawrence a choice we can afford.”
Community Village Lawrence’s Goals:
1) To assist members with chores of daily living on an as-needed basis.
2) To provide a network of reliable, vetted, discounted service providers.
3) To provide opportunities for members to have social contacts and meaningful interaction with neighbors.
4) To enhance quality of life for members, family and volunteers.