Upriver Village volunteers plan to bring aging-in-place services to Wood Village

Jane Foreman, chair of the Upriver Village steering council, told the council that Upriver Village will provide neighbor volunteers, social activities and hands-on services to help older residents remain in their homes.

"Upriver Village is coming to Wood Village," Foreman said, describing a support network that provides transportation, errands, home help and technology assistance. She said membership fees will be the primary funding source, supplemented by grants, donations and fundraising events, and that the steering council’s target launch date is July 1 — contingent on recruiting volunteers for communications, outreach, volunteer/event management and a steering-council secretary.

Foreman outlined three membership tiers and compared the village’s approach with for‑profit hourly services. She said a premium membership would be $40 a month and would provide far more hours of volunteer support than a single paid hour from some private providers; the transcript included a conflicting figure of “$4.80 a year,” which appears to be a transcription or statement error and should not be read as a final price. Council members and staff offered to promote volunteer recruitment through city newsletters, the recreation program’s guides and tabling at community events such as Pumpkin Fest.

Upriver Village said it will rely on Villages Northwest as fiscal sponsor rather than seeking its own 501(c)(3) status initially, and encouraged the council to help spread the word and refer potential volunteers and members. Foreman said the group will return to update the council as it approaches launch milestones.