This is an opinion column

It takes a village. That’s a shopworn phrase, but it’s true.

Back in 2014, a group of Monte Sano neighbors did some research about aging in place. They created a program—a Village— that lets people stay at home as they grew old. They’d soon be in that demographic, and they all wanted to stay in the place they loved, Monte Sano Mountain.

It’s a green and wooded space that’s home to hikers, bikers, state park campers, and wildlife. It’s also home to 650 private residencies, made up of young and old. The mountain wraps around the city of Huntsville like a green scarf. Sometimes it’s fogged in, but the clouds add to its beauty.

It attracts visitors in all seasons. They walk on the well-marked trails, nod hello to the deer, and camp overnight or rent the cabins on the mountain’s brim. Eventually, some people are so taken with the beauty and the serenity of the place that they decide to move there.

Once you do, residents say, you never want to leave, even as you grow older. The founders of Monte Sano Village, a handful of neighbors concerned about staying in the place they’d called home for decades, created a non-profit, membership-based organization that helps people live in their homes as long as possible. That’s really what most people want, the founders said, and they elected officers, decided on rules and by-laws, and went to work.

And so Monte Sano Village was born. One of its founders, Delia Siegrist, did the research. She learned that Boston’s Beacon Hill Village started the Village Movement back in 1999. Today, there are more than 300 Villages across the country and in 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives designated February 15 as National Village Day.

The Monte Sano Villagers were concerned about their elderly neighbors. They asked themselves if they wanted to spend their senior years in the familiar home and neighborhood they knew, or in a retirement home. It may be one out of state where adult children live, or maybe one just across town, but it’s not home. And home is what we want if we can keep it.

There are now three Villages in Alabama, and President Lue English hopes there will be more. In fact, she reaches out to neighborhoods across Huntsville to see if residents want to start their own Village. She offers information if they’re interested.

Monte Sano Village started with an all-volunteer board and it’s still run that way. They began with 44 members, and now they have 130. The board meets twice a month to screen requests and make sure they’re covering everyone’s needs. Membership is $100 per year for individuals and $150 for families. The money goes for supplies and operating expenses. Unlike some other Villages, nobody on this board is paid.

There is no fee to volunteer. And you don’t have to be elderly to get help. English says the Village is there for all residents of the mountain. And what do they do for these residents?

Change light bulbs and flip mattresses. Drive people to the doctor and to the pharmacy. Pick up groceries. Bring a meal. Take someone who doesn’t drive to the airport, to the beauty salon, to the barbershop. Wait with a resident for a medical procedure when he can’t go alone. Provide wheelchairs and walkers. Help with basic computer skills.

They can also do mundane jobs like pulling the garbage can down a steep driveway and pulling it back up again when it’s empty. A volunteer may take someone on a walk, one they used to take alone. They don’t feel safe doing that now.

Sometimes the volunteers take care of themselves, too. They have “mingles”where they get together for meals, music, and socializing. They have a bookclub and a writers’ group. But always, there is the need to serve others, to take the call from the lonely person who may just need a friendly visit and a cup of tea and a human presence in the home.

What can’t volunteers do? Pick up a person who has fallen. She may have injured herself and only first responders can determine that. They can’t provide medical treatment, but they can connect people to agencies and services they may need. There is training and vetting and insurance for all that they do.

One of the most practical services they provide is the bereavement bag. When someone dies, Village volunteers take the supplies needed if out of town guests are coming: paper towels, soap, napkins. They vacuum the house and get it ready for company. And of course they send cards, but only after the family has announced the death to the community.

How do they know the Village is helping? Last year they provided 1,603 services for people of Monte Sano. The thank you notes they get spill out of a folder. Many are from adult children living far from their parents, grateful for what the Village does for their mother or father.

What’s the best part of being a volunteer with the Village?

“It feels good to be on the helping side of things,” English says, “as long as you can.” She encourages people to join even if they don’t need help—not yet anyway. People who want more information can call 256-384-4177 or visit MonteSanoVillage.com.