In 2014 Arlington Neighborhood Village started with a few volunteers and a budget of about $120,000. Now today as they celebrate a decade, they have grown to a budget of almost $497,000 with 11,864 volunteer hours in 2024 to meet 4,400 requests from Arlington Neighborhood Village members.  But Wendy Zenker, Executive Director for the last 8 years says, “We always need more drivers to take our ANV members to their medical appointments and other errands.” 

Zenker says ANV has 455 members who pay $500 a year to take advantage of the services of the volunteers. This can include transportation to the library, post office or grocery store, walking buddies for socialization, daily check-ins if needed or technical assistance with a broken television or computer issue. 

The most common request right now is transportation to medical appointments. Zenker points out Arlington has transportation options but if the person doesn’t live on a bus line or close to a metro it can be difficult for them to walk the 8 blocks necessary to use public transportation. “They need a driver.”

Zenker says membership is open to persons 55-years and older, and currently they have members ranging in age from 58-years-old to 102. Forty-three percent of their membership is over 80-years-old, and 66 percent live alone. Seventy-three percent are female, and  27 percent are male.

”Many of them don’t have relatives who live nearby.”  

She said everything changed with Covid; “What we needed to do for people changed. There used to be a woman who we took every week to the hairdresser. Not anymore. With Covid people were following the rules about going out and errands became more important. Comfort and fear are big components.” She adds, “Some of these changes stick with people.”

The way it works is that an Arlington Neighborhood Village member puts in a request three days ahead of time, and the request goes into the volunteer database. It is sent out to the pool of volunteers twice a day until someone responds. The volunteer follows up by phone with a confirmation of the time, color and make of vehicle that will be picking the person up and the exact location (by the front door, etc.) 

“We don’t have enough drivers but you’d be surprised what some drivers are willing to do. We have had some unusual requests like a Sunday 11 pm MRI in Woodbridge which was the only time available.  We try to do what we can.”

Katherine Collins, 88, is a long-time member of ANV. Although she easily uses public transportation, the volunteers take her to one difficult to reach medical appointment. “And I attend the annual Thanksgiving dinner and barbecue, both excellent, and the monthly book club by zoom where I’ve been introduced to books I’d never thought to read. I haven’t attended the regular women’s lunch or the monthly happy hour yet but I intend to. I’m so glad I joined ANV.”

Zenker says all of the volunteers receive an online orientation, and undergo  background checks and a driving history.

Zenker reports she sort of stumbled into the job as Executive Director after retiring from a full career including Senior VP for the National Council on Aging and Chief Operating Officer for the Corporation for Public Service. 

“I thought my work life was over.” Then she attended one of the Arlington Neighborhood Village weekly conversation events where they announced they were looking for an interim director. “My neighbor punched me in the ribs about the job so I took on a short time gig. I loved work; they loved me. So here I am.” Now she says she has learned how to sit on the other side of the table asking for dollars.

Arlington Neighborhood Village is a non-profit dedicated to helping older adults living in their own homes. The village movement started in Boston in 1999 and today includes more than 350 villages (including Arlington) around the US.  For more information contact: anvarlington.org