Suppose you could call on friendly neighbors for both social activities and help without having to move to a small town where everyone knows each other? Virtual villages, unlike small towns everywhere, have no prejudice about how long you’ve been a resident or your origins. Wider Horizons is a Virtual Village.

Illustration of a woman in a yellow shirt with a cup of Starbucks in front of a laptop with a man on the screen with a house in the background. The Space Needle is outside of the women's window.

Virtual Villages from Boston To Seattle by A.J. Lowe

In 2001 a group of Boston seniors developed the concept of Virtual Villages: A network of seniors seeking to remain in their own homes but sharing resources to prolong members’ ability to age in place. Virtual Villages reduce social isolation and also help with physical limitations of some members through chiefly volunteer efforts. Depending on the Village, there may be paid staff and/or helpers.

Today there are over 400 Villages in the United States. While they have similar goals, they adapt the concept to their own physical and geographical needs. Wider Horizons is part of a national organization, Village-to-Village Network. Created in 2010, it supports existing Villages and provides resources for communities wanting to create new ones.

Four people sitting around a dinner table with plates of food and wine bottles on the table

The Village Movement: A Brief History