Northwest Neighbors Village's mission (NNV) is to empower older adults in our area (and with partners, citywide) to thrive as they age by offering a wide range of programs, resources, and volunteer support. We envision a generous, supportive, inclusive community where all older adults are valued, age with dignity, and enjoy opportunities for growth and connection.

To further our mission and to ensure that our Village's reach reflects the demographics of our community, NNV initiated a partnership with Friendship Place and neighboring Cleveland & Woodley Park Village to provide volunteer services to support formerly unhoused adults age 50+ living in our community.

Friendship Place, as many of you know, is a housing service provider for people experiencing homelessness in the DC region. Their innovative, customized, person-focused programs empower participants to rebuild their lives, find homes, get jobs, and reconnect with friends, family, and the community, permanently. Over the next year, the three organizations will work together on a pilot program to provide volunteer services like friendly visits, grocery shopping, and transportation to older participants in Friendship Place's permanent supportive housing (PSH) program.

Earlier this week, a group of 18 volunteers and staff participated in a half-day training at the Friendship Place Welcome Center in Tenleytown. The group was educated on myths surrounding homelessness, and issues like trauma, mental health, and addiction that may affect this population. Studies have shown that the biological age of individuals with a history of being unhoused is ten years older than their chronological age. They are often more socially isolated than their peers. Given these factors, building trusting relationships is the the foundation of this work.

During this pilot program, Villages will work directly with the case managers of Friendship Place's participants in their permanent supportive housing program. The case managers are very familiar with the unique needs of their participants and will initiate volunteer service requests. Friendship Place case managers will be an important partner in the Village's delivery of services and evaluation of this program. Only specially trained and vetted volunteers who have signed up to participate in this pilot program will be alerted to Friendship Place service requests.

We are excited about this opportunity to explore a new model of reaching currently unserved older adults in our area. This new partnership aligns with our values of Caring and Service, Diversity and Inclusion, Collaboration, and Continuous Improvement, and expands on our ongoing work to incorporate equitable and inclusive practices in our Village. Stay tuned for updates on this initiative.

‍