McLean Community: A Village For All Ages (MCVA)

McLean Community: A Village for All Ages (MCVA), is a new community-based, volunteer-managed initiative in McLean, Virginia.  MCVA seeks to make McLean a friendly, connected, and supportive community for all, while recognizing the special needs of older adults and adults living with disabilities. 

With 30% aged 55 or older, McLean has a disproportionately larger older population within Fairfax County where the median age is under 40 years.

The age distribution of McLean's total
population of 63,000 is:
        under 35 years           39%
        35 to 54 years             31%
        55 years and older    30%

History of MCVA
In early 2011, five individuals, namely McLean residents Jerry Hopkins, Vicki Doff and Eileen Duggan and Fairfax County personnel, Jennnifer Boysko, staff aide to Supervisor John Foust and Patricia Rohrer, Long Term Care Program Developer, explored the need to make McLean a more supportive community for all, with a focus on older adults and adults with disabilities.

In October 2011, Dranesville District
Supervisor John Foust convened a Forum
at the Capital One HQ in Tysons Corner  that was attended by more than 100 community group representatives and interested individuals.

  Through discussion groups and a survey, the attendees unequivocally confirmed the need for an initiative to support all residents who desired to “stay in place,” and live active, independent lives by developing a village of services.

As a follow-up to this meeting, a group of
committed community volunteers engaged in the planning and development of McLean’s “Village” initiative. 

In 2013, we are now in our third phase of planning and implementation.


The Village Concept
In 2001, the Beacon Hill area of Boston pioneered a program to enable older residents stay in their own homes. The Beacon Hill Village concept led to the development of many “Villages” world-wide  including several in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.  

These “Villages” have evolved using varying models that reflect each community’s interests, needs, and resources, some charging a fee and others, not.  

The MCVA Village model
The MCVA currently uses a free, neighbor -helping-neighbor  model, managed entirely by volunteers.