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Welcome To Skyline Village

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History

Skyline Village Chicago is part of a growing national movement (www.vtvnetwork.org) of grassroots nonprofit membership communities.   Since the first Village opened in Beacon Hill in 2002, more than 100 have opened around the country and  than 120 are in formation.  Skyline is one of four Villages in the Chicago area.

Skyline Village Chicago grew out of Streeterville Organization of Active Residents' (SOAR's) Aging Issues Council.   SOAR members, wanting programming and services of interest to mature residents in Streeterville, had formed the Council several years earlier.  When one of our members, George Otto, purchased the Beacon Hill Village Manual, the Council read it with great interest.  He reached out to Lincoln Park Village and to North Shore Village, both then in their start-up phase, to get information we could use to help us start a Village in our area.

StreeterVillage was our first name.  But as people from the Gold Coast and the New Eastside joined our planning efforts, we realized that our ‘neighborhood' included the high rises from North Ave. to E. Randolph St. along the lakefront.  Skyline Village Chicago became a separate organization in 2010, when we established by-laws and incorporated as a nonprofit in the State of Illinois, with SOAR continuing to generously mentor our growth.  Rosalie Harris suggested the name Skyline Village Chicago–and our Village was born.

In the summer of 2010, Skyline Village Chicago held a meeting at Fourth Presbyterian Church attracting more than 60 people interested in learning more about the Village concept.  Over the past year, we've held more than a dozen parlor meetings throughout our area where we described the Village movement, what we have in mind for our village and found out from attendees what they want and need.  With the help of Loyola School of Social Work and Mather Foundation, we sent out an online survey during the summer of 2011.  Respondents told us that they were interested in getting to know one another; they wanted to find people who shared their interests; wanted to know what is available in the community (a centralized calendar and a resource directory were both on the top of the list); and they wanted to be able to volunteer for and with one another.  They were less interested in ‘vetted services' like other Villages offer.

In 2013, our planning board established a membership fee of $75 for individuals and $100 for households.  Membership benefits will grow over the next year as our website and calendar fill with information you can use.  Please watch for our newsletter and return to our website often to check on and find ways that you can participate in our Village!

Together we have the power and means to design our own futures and keep control of our own lives.  (Village to Village Network)