MONTAGUE — As Americans get older across the country, an organization in Montague is seeking to help the aging population remain independent and connected to the community.

A group of volunteers has created a chapter of the national organization “The Village to Village Movement,” a non-profit organization dedicated to helping aging people remain independent in their homes through volunteer service. The “Montague Villages” is joining a coalition of 30 existing organizations in Massachusetts, and will begin offering services this fall.

Montague Villages President Helen Gibson and committee members on its board noticed the mounting need for basic assistance by their neighbors, some of whom can no longer get to the grocery store or go to doctors appointments on their own. Gibson recalls the first meetings for the organization started in March 2023 following a story in the Montague Reporter which brought attention to the village networks in the surrounding area assisting in these needs.

“A bunch of people got together, we started meeting on a regular basis and we did some research about the national village movement,” Gibson said. “It was very exciting for me to read about all this work that’s been done to try to help elders stay in their homes as long as possible with some help from their neighbors.”

Since 2023, the Montague Villages board has been working with the Montague’s Council of Aging and with other chapters of Massachusetts villages to identify what services members most desire. As of this month, more than 150 people have expressed interest in the services the organization would offer, Gibson explained.

According to Montague Villages brochure, specific services provided include transportation assistance, help with household chores, phone and in-person check-ins, referrals to services outside of the volunteers’ scope and more as the program progresses. The Montague Villages will serve residents in Turners Falls, Millers Falls, Lake Pleasant, Montague City and Montague Center, according to its website.

Gibson said each volunteer will go through a background check as part of the volunteer application process.

“We want to make sure that the volunteers that are helping our senior citizens have a clean record, with no record that indicates that they would do any harm to our to our members,” she emphasized.

The board recently approved a volunteer handbook that details the responsibilities of volunteers, and an application for volunteers is now available online. Volunteers must be over 18 to participate and members (those who receive services by volunteers) are able to register now on the Montague Villages website.

As the organization is in the start up process, Gibson noted that members can donate money to fund the service while not receiving services, or people can become a member ahead of needing the services provided by the volunteers.

“If something happens in their life and they need us, we’ll be there for them,” Gibson said.

Board member Elieen Mariani said her motivation to see Montague Villages offer service in town comes from her experience as a decades-long resident.

“As I’ve aged, I’ve watched friends’ ability to live in their homes diminish, especially women whose husband or partners have passed,” Mariani said, adding that she’s seen the isolation and lack of connection to the wider community and hopes the organization can bridge this gap for people.

“We want to present a base of caring to each other and to anyone who needs the kind of help so that they can aid in place in their homes independently, and we’re hoping that it will be a very strong community feeling,” Mariani said.

The Montague Village is expecting to begin offering volunteer services in the fall. People interested in becoming members can sign up at the Montague Villages website https://montaguevillages.clubexpress.com and a volunteer sign up is available under the website’s “Volunteering” tab.

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.