Helping Neighbors Age in Place

[February 7, 2026]

By Stephanie Sandmeyer

Get ready for a new twist on the old saying, “It takes a village.”

Ninety percent of seniors want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. The shared resources of the volunteer group RiverWest Village lend a hand in making that goal a reality for seniors in Hillsdale and across southwest Portland.

Autonomy as we age is ideal, but for many, a lack of mobility and/or transportation can make independence a challenge. RiverWest Village is not a place to live; it is a non-profit, membership-based organization that provides volunteer resources, such as light housekeeping, yard work, and transportation, to help people age in place. Their vision is “a vibrant, inter-generational, interdependent, cooperative community in southwest Portland that provides resources for village members.”

RiverWest Village is one of hundreds of “villages” across the United States. In 1999, after a debilitating blizzard, aging residents of Beacon Hill, MA, came together and envisioned a community model in which neighbors assist neighbors with the services and support they need to stay in their homes. Today, there are more than 300 villages.

Volunteers help a member with yardwork. Tom Kearns and Judith Meckling. Frost Johnson, RiverWest Chair.

Demographically, the Portland-Metro area, including Hillsdale, will see a rise in residents aged 65 and older—by 2030, the estimate is almost 400,000. RiverWest Village is the third-largest village in the Villages NW hub, comprising 11 villages in Oregon and SW Washington. The RiverWest Village service area generally extends from SW Portland, along the Willamette River westward to Beaverton, and north of Lake Oswego.

RiverWest Village volunteer, transportation co-chair, and Hillsdale resident Tom Kearns says the organization provides a connection to the community for him and his wife: “My wife, Kathy, and I were attracted to the village by two things: to maintain social connections as we get older and to make it easier to meet people and remain active.” Villages build relationships and develop community through social activities, including potluck meals, book clubs, exercise/wellness activities, and educational programs.

Hillsdale village members and volunteers meet weekly on Friday for happy hour at 4pm in multiple spots around the neighborhood. A few times a year, the group also meets at Seasons and Regions. There are weekly women's and men’s coffee group meetings, as well as multiple outdoor and indoor events every month. Check out the calendar here for more information.

Tom noted the importance of the RiverWest community to him and his wife, Kathy: “We are fortunate to still have neighbors and other friends that we are involved with, but we have also experienced losses in our personal friend group due to aging and death. Being a part of a larger community through the village helps to cushion those losses.”

In addition to social activities, RiverWest Village manages a network of volunteers who do the kind of tasks friends, neighbors, and family might do—things as simple as taking laundry down steep basement steps, changing a smoke alarm battery, or raking leaves can make all the difference. Other tasks might include:

• Occasional light housekeeping

• Occasional light yard and garden care

• Routine home maintenance

• Item repair

• Simple sewing and mending

• Running errands

• Assistance with a laptop, smartphone, or tablet

• Transportation to appointments, shopping, or events

• Checking on a member’s home when they are away

  
  

In Hillsdale, RiverWest co-chair Lyn Trainer notes a “real need for volunteers” for yardwork, someone to coordinate Neighborhood Circles (where members and volunteers from specific neighborhoods can get together), and a point person for crisis situations.

If you are a senior who would like help to make it possible to stay in your house as long as possible or would like to volunteer to offer assistance, please email Lyn at info@riverwestvillage.org.

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