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Experiencing Elderspirit

July 30, 2015 by

My upcoming road trip with friends up to Abingdon, VA to visit Elderspirit inspired me to reminisce about my relationship and respect for what has been accomplished in that small town along the Virginia Creeper Trail.

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Marianne inspired at Elderspirit 2007

The inspiration behind Elderspirit spoke to me very early in my quest for my community.

The attraction of Elderspirit for me came from its Founder, Dene (Geraldine) Peterson. She often said the one of the goals for those in the community was to live there “to a good death” like her family members did. No nursing home but in the caring arms of your “family.” But for me and many like me, family is chosen and deliberate. This is what I mean by building community.

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Filed Under: Cohousing, Community Spotlight Tagged With: , ,

Community Spotlight: The Eden Alternative

January 8, 2015 by

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The Eden Alternative isn’t so much a specific community as it is a way of organizing a community to create something new for residents as they age. What the Eden Alternative provides is a way for any type of community to implement their philosophy to completely change the level of care, interaction, and engagement of residents. I think this is worth exploring.

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Filed Under: Collaborative Tools, Community Anywhere Tagged With:

Community Spotlight: Senior Flatmates

August 19, 2014 by

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Community can mean many things to many people. Some who are looking to build community want a shared household with several housemates. Others envision a pocket neighborhood community where each member has their own home and they come together for shared experiences. Others still are looking for a tiny accessory dwelling unit in a back yard so they can be close to friends or family.

Can just two roommates sharing a space in the Big Apple be considered a community?

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Community Spotlight: NORC

March 25, 2014 by
Image by Jay@MorphoLA via Flickr

Image by Jay@MorphoLA via Flickr

Are you familiar with the concept of a NORC? These communities can’t be built or forced, they are simply naturally occurring like dandelions or maple saplings. NORC stands for Naturally Occurring Retirement Community. These communities didn’t start out just for seniors but for various reasons, such as people moving in or out or aging in place, they are occupied in large numbers by older adults.

NORCs can exisit anywhere; suburbs, cities, condos, houses, apartments. The type of structure doesn’t matter as much as the ages of the residents who make up the majority of the community. Because of the natural evolution of these communities relationships develop over time and community members begin to form a support system. Thus, they begin to attract other seniors to the area as well.

NORC Blueprint has also evolved to provide tools for individuals interested in community living. NORC Programs, like the one in New York, offer services and infrastructure to seniors living within these communities.

An excellent example of a NORC in action is in the town of East Point Georgia. While the wider community has a diversity of ages, there are parts of town where seniors live today. Three Atlanta area organizations came together to give the seniors living in the East Point NORC important services.

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Filed Under: Community Anywhere, Community Spotlight Tagged With: ,

Community Spotlight: My House Our House

January 28, 2014 by
Photo from My House Our House

Photo from My House Our House

Community living can take on many forms. Today I wanted to share with you the story of Shadowlawn, the home of Jean McQuillin, Karen Bush, and Louise Machinist; three women who created a cooperative household to reduce expenses and live well for much less money than it takes to run a traditional home. They are housemates, friends, and co-authors and three individuals who chose to live together.

In the summer of 2013, their book came out to share their story with others.

In 2004, we were each happily living independently in Pittsburgh. While planning for a distant retirement, we realized how fantastic it could be to live together. We found ourselves asking, “Why not now?”

I encourage you to continue reading about My House Our House below.

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Filed Under: Cohousing, Community Spotlight, Your Story Tagged With: , , ,
Women For Living in Community