In the summer of 2021 Eileen Mariani, a longtime resident of Montague Center, put up a flyer with a simple message. The Flyer said, “Want to know your neighbors?” and invited women to gather on her porch and deck on an afternoon in August.
More than thirty women showed up to connect and share their stories about where they lived and how long they’d been in town, their work, hobbies and interests. What emerged was a deep sense of community engagement, and this created the foundation for what would become Montague Villages. Those of us who gathered that day saw tangible evidence of the need for connection.
In the winter of 2022, the Montague Reporter published a story about a thriving “village” serving nearby communities. Following this, Montague residents had a meeting at the library to see if there were people in Montague interested in creating a network of volunteers to perform small tasks that would enable elders to stay in their homes. More than fifty people came to that meeting and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Interested people offered their contact information for future meetings.
There were many meetings as we got our bearings. A core group kept coming to share ideas, and from those people leaders emerged who decided that all the villages that comprise the Town of Montague should be represented. The name Montague Villages was adopted, and people began to reach out to Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Lake Pleasant and Montague City in addition to Montague Center. Board members attended events in these towns and talked to friends and neighbors in an effort to recruit Board and committee members who represent the entire town.
A list of needs developed. Committees were formed. We reached out to other local agencies. A representative from Lifepath came to listen and talk about how we could support one another. Roberta Potter, Director of the Gill-Montague Council on Aging (COA) lent her support. Common Good, a local non-profit, agreed to be our fiscal sponsor, making it possible to open a bank account and accept tax-deductible donations.
Members of the Board made financial contributions, we joined the National Village-to-Village organization, and the Montague Council on Aging (COA) provided the funds we needed to purchase the “Run My Village” program from Club Express to help us create our website.
By Fall 2023, Montague Villages had a Board, several committees, and a mission:
Montague Villages helps adults 60 and older who reside in the Town of Montague
to age in place with dignity and independence
by offering volunteer services, access to information, and community connections.