Eldershire Development Consortium (EDC) provides consultants and materials that support and assist Eldershire communities that are forming or other communities interested in retrofitting as Eldershire communities. For these emerging communities, EDC assists with such critical areas as the initial exploration of the community concept; the nuts and bolts of forming communities; documentation; and design and planning. For established communities, EDC provides valuable materials and access to experts to aid in the ongoing success of the community. This unique support may include: guidance for developing and implementing lifelong learning programs; training for resident mentors; problem solving and decision making assistance; and networking among Eldershire communities.

EDC’s unique package of programs are organic, flexible, and vibrant—growing, adapting, and developing—based on the feedback and experiences of the individual community. In addition to the consultancies, materials, and ongoing trainings, we offer tools to measure the success of Eldershire communities. The programs EDC offers fall into these categories.
1. Consultancy and materials for developers and groups joining together to create a community
2. Programs and training that support the ongoing operation of an Eldershire Community. These elements also relate to the design and development of each community.

I. DEVELOPING AN ELDERSHIRE COMMUNITY:
EDC will offer guidance by:
A. Community Exploration
  • Examining the “who, what, when, where, and how”     elements of creating an Eldershire Community
  • Consulting with the developer and/or prospective     residents
  • Helping compress the cohousing process from years to     months. See as a guidebook: “Creating a Life Together:     Practical Tools to Grow an Ecovillage or Intentional     Community” (New Society, 2003) or “Senior Cohousing” by     Charles Durrett, (Habitat Press, 2006)
B. Nuts and Bolts
    Advising and assisting with site selection, initial design     aspects, zoning, utilities, organizational aspects, financing,     and selecting consultants
C. Documentation
    Providing drafts and models of the various documents     needed to form and govern the community
D. Design and Plans
    Making appropriate recommendations and referrals,     through our relationships with designers and architects,     while helping ensure the community developers retain     control.

II. ONGOING OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMMING
Each of these programs is being developed with experts in the particular field who will serve as trainers for those opting to be resident mentors. They also will serve as backup informational sources and will bring mentors together for periodic meetings and training.

A. Empowerment
    A 3-hour Empowerment Workshop will be available, which     will include a 4-day Empowerment Facilitator’s training for     mentors (in-house trainers). Ongoing workshops will be     offered in subjects that seem to generate the most interest     with residents. One-on-one mentoring will be available as     well. The initial training will be done by Arthur Rashap,     Certified Empowerment Trainer. See www.     empowermentinstitute.net. Materials, workbooks, and CDs     for the full training program and a CD of the 3-hour     “Introduction to Empowerment” program will be available.
B. Well-Being
    In this dynamic health and wellness program, Eldershire     residents will be able to access a variety of interactive     health and wellness materials via a closed circuit internet     program. Two resident volunteer “wellness mentors” from     the community will receive special training, periodic     updates, and have access to resources and specialists.     Before implementation begins, an introductory     presentation will provide residents with information about     the program, which will foster their “buy-in” and encourage     participation. An electronic newsletter with ideas, updates,     and community forum will be generated to go along with     the periodic community newsletter. A health resource book     such as “Informed AdvantAGE” would be a valuable tool     and could be made available to each member of the     community. Consultants include the The Workcare Group     in Charlottesville, Virginia, George Pfeiffer, President. See:     www. workcaregroup.com. For more information and an     expanded definition of well-being, see here.
C. Lifelong Learning
    Rather than signaling the end of lifelong work, Elderhood     can be translated into bright new beginnings and exciting     new possibilities for personal growth. Residents will have     the opportunity to design courses in subjects they would     like to learn or teach. Interaction with area institutions of     higher learning is planned. Based on their interests and     abilities, residents will be able to access educators, artists,     writers, spiritual teachers or others, to teach and work in     the community. An artist-in-residence program may evolve     from such an engagement. EDC will act as a facilitator to     help create these workshops and programs among     existing Eldershire Communities, the surrounding local     communities, and throughout the entire Eldershire     network.
D. Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship
    Beginning with the earliest design processes and     extending into the day-to-day lives of the residents,     Eldershire Communities will support sustainability and     environmental stewardship. This could manifest in the form     of recycling guidelines, vehicle use, building material     regulations, water use, and so on, as decided by the     community members. EDC builds on the model expressed     by the Livable Neighborhood Program, which was     developed by the Empowerment Institute. Its materials and     training protocols easily can be adapted to suit Eldershire     Community needs. Community members can then engage     the surrounding communities by modeling successful     sustainability and stewardship in action and by assisting     and consulting with local residents and leaders who may     wish to follow this example (See Civic Engagement, below).
E. Spirituality
    Spirituality is different than religion, although religions are     based on spiritual aspects. It is “the human quest for     personal meaning and mutually fulfilling relationships     among people, the non-human environment, and, for     some, God.” (See attached chart, “Later Life Spirituality in     the Elderspirit Community”). It is our experience that     examining “why we are here” is a very important aspect of     achieving well-being. Qualified, experienced individuals will     bring valuable materials and will provide training for the     Eldershire Community members who wish to act as     community spirituality mentors.
F. Civic Engagement
     Eldershire Communities can be likened to a cell that has     very permeable walls. Things that nourish it flow easily and     smoothly into the community. At the same time, things that     nourish the surrounding cells (communities) flow readily     out of the community. This may be contrasted to those     “gated communities” that are pretty well “selfcontained”—     where there is little flow in or out. Civic engagement is a     key element in this two way flow—and it is a part of how     members of the Eldershire Community are encouraged     and supported to both take a full role in their own     governance (“nourishment”) as well as how they contribute     from their talent, experience, learning, time, and energy to     the greater good. Civic engagement can take many forms,     from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement     to electoral participation. Eldershire Communities will     embrace this process through individual and collective     actions designed to identify and address issues of public     concern. It can include efforts to address an issue directly,     work with others in a community to solve a problem, or     interact with the institutions of representative democracy.     Civic engagement could include a range of activities such     as working in a soup kitchen, serving on a neighborhood     association, modeling environmental stewardship, or     writing a letter to an elected official or voting.
G. Self-governance
    Perhaps nothing can sour all the hard and wonderful work     that goes into creating a viable community than conflict     among neighbors or meetings that produce intense     discord. Developing a governing structure that truly works     for all is an art form. Having trained facilitators as part of     this process is critical to the success of a community. Basic     documents that reflect the true underlying spirit and goals     of the members of the community are also building blocks     for fostering mutual respect and avoiding undue conflict.     EDC recommends a modified consensus decision-making     system, where all are heard and respected and where the     underlying values of the community— it’s Constitution     —forms the basis for settling any conflict.
H. Caring for others
    When each resident of an Eldershire Community makes     the commitment to be a good neighbor, each resident gets     a community full of good neighbors! Translating this into     action involves living the Golden Rule. There are many     things good neighbors can do to help each other—to     provide care and caring. Whether it is picking up a quart of     milk, feeding the dog or gold fish, driving a neighbor to an     appointment, or offering a caring reminder, the     commitment to care and caring can and will create a new     way of living together—a new way with deep roots in the     past. EDC’s training and materials help the community and     its residents to define roles, expectations, and policies     relating to good neighboring. The process by which     outside caregivers can be used when needed within the     community also will be developed with community     residents. Residents will explore and arrange for ways to     care for those who may need more help than can be     achieved within the community.
I. Networking
    “Let’s find out how others have dealt with this problem.”     “We’d love to do a workshop in Boca Raton, Santa Fe,     Kalamazoo, Grand Isle, or New Orleans.” Gee, a home     exchange would be great—we’d get to meet new people.     Our communities can show off a bit and get new energy.”     These are just a few of the ideas and opportunities that     networking among communities can create. EDC will act as     a clearing house among participating communities and     their members to help create exchanges of information,     workshops, trainings, home exchanges, and an “in-house”     timeshare type of operation.
J. Being Known
    Telling your own story and listening to the fascinating tales     of someone else’s life is important for developing mutual     respect and understanding. This way of getting to know     each other—communicating through stories and     histories—is the way people have developed friendships,     understanding, and respect throughout history. EDC will     provide individuals who have developed ways to     encourage people to share these stories and histories.     The vital aspect of keeping and building on one’s identity     is preserved and respected by using a variety of     facilitators (both internal and external).
K. Sales and Resales
    The rules, regulations, governing documents, structure,     and necessary intimacy (consensus and style of decision     making) of an Eldershire Community could create some     concerns and potential problems for those seeking to     purchase a home there. EDC will assist developers and     community-forming groups in navigating the potential     difficulties associated with initial admissions to the     community as well as with resales.