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10/03/2023 12:46 PMPress Release from the Shoreline Village CT
Shoreline Village CT (SVCT) has launched a fall membership campaign to invite shoreline residents from Madison, Guilford, Branford, and East Haven to join our vibrant group of seniors redefining aging in our community.
Members give or receive help with household tasks and errands or rides to appointments, receive referrals for home repair, or other needs, and meet other seniors at regular walks, social events, cultural outings, and more. The Village is offering six-month memberships at reduced rates through Nov. 30 and is reaching out to local businesses to increase awareness of its model.
Maryann Bracken, co-president of SVCT, said, “Shoreline Village is the best-kept secret on the shoreline! We invite everyone—seniors, their adult children, and service providers—to get to know us and bring us to the attention of those who might benefit from membership.”
The Village is holding a Guilford town-wide party in October with wine and light refreshments to introduce ourselves to potential members and friends. The Guilford Party will be on Thursday, Oct. 26 from 5 to 7 p.m. Register here for location: http://bit.ly/SCVTGuilford, or call Sylvia DeSantis at 203-747-5939.
About Shoreline Village CT
Shoreline Village CT, one of over 250 “villages” across the country, was formed in 2013 after two years of grassroots organizing. Our mission is to create a community of seniors, helping each other to live and thrive independently in our own homes. We provide transportation to medical and essential appointments for those who no longer drive, as well as other services such as “friendly visits.” We also host events and activities for social interaction. Our goals are to empower seniors to age independently and engage with their wider community.
SVCT’s programs fall into two main areas: support services and social activities. The main example from the first category is “friendly visits on wheels,” which entails transportation to essential appointments offered to members who no longer drive. What begins as transportation often turns into companionship and friendship.
We also help connect members with trusted service providers, such as plumbers, electricians, rehab facilities, and in-home helpers. We offer professional home safety assessments to help local seniors make essential safety-oriented improvements to their homes (ramps, railings, etc.).
Our social activities include a variety of events where members meet on a level playing field with no “helping” involved. We offer physical, mental, and social stimulation through walking, kayaking, yoga, a book club, Tea and Talk, mahjong, and other activities. Many of these activities are fully open to non-members, including talks at the Guilford Free Library about opera and art. We also offer one-off events, such as a tour of the Stony Creek Quarry with a third-generation quarry worker. We also host talks on topics relevant to seniors such as Fraud Prevention and have hosted guest speakers from AARP and the Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut.