Vision: (what success looks like for Valley Village) Aging in Community with Mutual Support

Mission: (our strategy to get to our vision) Valley Village enhances the capacity of members to age in their homes and promotes the well-being of members by offering social connection, wellness activities, educational opportunities, mutual support, and guidance for navigating the transitions of late life.

Values: (beliefs that guide our choices in how Valley Village operates and deals with people)

• Collaboration: working together to make things happen

• Community: valuing fellowship

• Compassion: caring for and supporting each other

• Diversity: welcoming and appreciating each person’s individuality

• Excellence: striving to do our best and evaluating results

• Independence: cultivating resilience and self-reliance

• Sustainability: building an organization that will serve generations

• Volunteerism: giving of ourselves to help others and community

• Wellness: promoting physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, environmental, occupational health.

Valley Village is a member of the Village to Village Network, our national organization that supports local Villages across the US and beyond.



Villages are membership-driven, grass-roots organizations that coordinate access to affordable services including transportation, health and wellness programs, home repairs, social and educational activities, and other day-to-day needs, enabling individuals to remain connected to their community throughout the aging process.

“Preparing for the future,” “Having an anxiety attack” or simply “Thinking ahead” are the thoughts that motivated two residents of Harrisonburg to begin conversation in 2007. Keith Gnagey and Paul Yoder soon discovered they were not alone as they met with others in search of a model that supported persons aging in their own homes. In fact, a national AARP survey determined that among those 75 and older, 95% say they want to stay in their homes as long as possible.

Keith and Paul explored Naturally Occuring Retirement Communities (NORCS), as well as the member-driven Village Model (first developed by Beacon Hill Village in 2001) where services are defined by the membership and a fee structure. They discovered that about 130 other “Villages” were in operation or development in the US. It was decided to create a village model in the Park View community which could be expanded to other parts of Harrisonburg, VA.

Interest grew quickly during exploratory meetings with local groups of mostly seniors during 2008-09. In May 2009, a Steering Committee was formed; later that year the group began operating under the umbrella of Valley Associates for Independent Living (VAIL).

Late in 2010, membership guidelines were drafted. Within the first three months of 2011, 30 households joined Park View Village. In January 2012, an application was submitted to obtain 501(c)3 charitable status; the status was granted on March 7, 2013. Our group joined Village to Village Network to benefit from the networking and knowledge sharing that VtV facilitates.

In 2018, the group was renamed Valley Village as part of an effort to expand membership and services beyond the Park View neighborhood. Overall, Valley Village has grown steadily, moving ahead, learning and taking steps to help members live independently in their homes.

The Village Model: A Neighborly Way to Age in Place, Senior Planet, October 30, 2020

Can the Village Movement Scale to Support Aging in Place?, February 11, 2019

'Village Movement' Allows Elderly To Age In Their Homes, NPR', December 12, 2017

Aging In Place—The Village Model and Its Impact on Older Adults’ Quality of Life, Innovation in Aging, Volume 1, Issue suppl_1, 1 July 2017

Why More Seniors Are Forming Their Own 'Villages', Bloomberg CityLab, September 17, 2015

The Village Movement: Redefining Aging in Place, Next Avenue, June 4, 2012

Villages: The Real Social Network, AARP Magazine (May/June 2011)

Aging in Place Preserves Seniors’ Independence, Reduces Care Costs, Senior Journal (March 11, 2011)

Senior Villages Take Root as Movement Matures, US News & World Report (January 28, 2011)

Villages Help Neighbors Age at Home, NPR (August 23, 2010)

Lorie Merrow - President

Julia Stauffer - Vice President

Daryl Peifer - Treasurer

Richard Sider - Secretary

Pearl Lantz

Ann Bender

Larry Miller

Elaine Barge

Katherine Cottam

Gerald Kauffman

Joyce Nussbaum