By Elizabeth Black, PNA Village volunteer
Anyone who’s involved with PNA Village—or “the Village” as it’s better known—can tell you it’s an incredibly special program.
With the goal of empowering people to remain in their homes and neighborhoods while staying active and engaged as they age, the Village reimagines aging by offering elders opportunities for social engagement and help from their local neighbors. The sense of belonging that the Village creates and the connected lives it supports show the Power of Community.
By facilitating access to activities and events like walking groups, book clubs, acting groups, jewelry-making, creative writing, coffee chats, community service, and more, the Village ensures there’s a place—and an activity—for all members to enjoy. As a result, members have fostered new friendships, hobbies, and interests—proof that building community and learning and evolving well into our later years is a worthy and fulfilling way to spend our time.
The Village also offers members support through a wide network of volunteers who provide social visits, assistance with handy projects, transportation to doctor’s appointments, classes, or errands, and advocacy on health-related matters. The goal is to ensure that members are never without support or friendship, whenever they need or want it.
PNA members and volunteers alike say that the community they’ve found through the Village has been life changing.
“He is wonderful, and I love talking with him. I needed someone who could help me with small errands and drive me places, and he’s been so helpful on that front. From there, we’ve developed a great friendship, built off of a wide variety of mutual interests. For example, we love talking about music and space together!”
Andrew, who has been a volunteer with the Village since 2017, agrees, saying Linda has become a true friend to him over the years. Knowing he can make a huge difference in someone’s day by providing transportation, troubleshooting tech problems, and connecting as a friend is incredibly important to him, especially now that he’s retired and has extra time to give back to his community.
“Our Village creates so many wonderful connections while supporting active, independent lives,” shared PNA Village Program Manager Rebecca Fogarty. “We’ve served elder neighbors for more than a decade and I’m excited to see our community and its friendships keep growing!”
The Village has served hundreds of Seattleites over the years—and it’s critical that it continue doing so. To support Seattle’s fabulous community of elders—for months and years to come—it needs sustained financial support from the community.
That’s why we’re asking neighbors to support our Power of Community senior programs fundraiser, or to consider establishing a recurring donation to the Village—to ensure this vital program thrives well into the future. To all those who already donate, thank you! Your generosity is making an enormous difference in the lives of local elders.
Support the Greenwood Senior Center and celebrate the Power of Community with a tax-deductible gift to our campaign today. Our goal is to raise $60,000 for all of our senior programs, including our events, lectures, and classes. Help us spread the word!