VILLAGE FRIENDS serves the Auburn/Opelika community providing a network of services and support to help seniors age independently in their homes.
Village Friends’ mission is to provide aging adults (Subscribers) with a support system allowing them to age in place in the home of their choosing. Importantly, Village Friends provides outings and events to counteract social isolation. Our mission improves life for families and enhances many aspects of life for older citizens.
Some citizens who could benefit from our services do not have the financial means to do so. Our Giving Day goal is to procure funding for the extension of services to Opelika seniors who are underserved or cannot otherwise afford our minimal annual service fee.
Village Friends currently serves 80 aging adults in the Opelika-Auburn community with about 25% residing in Opelika. We offer our Subscribers, who range in age from 60 – 90+, a practical, realistic way to live independently while enjoying the best and fullest lives possible. Services include but are not limited to, transportation, deliveries, computer/TV/internet assistance, social activities, light home maintenance, and other services as requested.
Village Friends served the Opelika-Auburn community in 2022 by filling 865 requests for service. In March 2023, we broke our own record by completing 115 service requests in a single month. We are on track to complete over 1000 requests this year. Approximately 80% of our requests are for transportation, and 60% of those are for medical appointments.
The Opelika-Auburn community is fortunate to have a local Village. There are 250 “Villages” in the USA, with three located in Alabama. Village Friends was the first, founded in 2013, and we began providing services in 2014. Our organization had its beginnings as an OLLI class on “Aging in Place”. The instructors of the class at the AU Osher Lifelong Learning Institute were inspired by the interest in the Village movement and Village Friends was born. Except for two part-time employees, we are grassroots, volunteer-run organization.
You can help us reach our financial objectives for this fundraiser!
If you would like to learn more about Village Friends, visit our webpage here.