"United We Serve" and National Day of Service: Seniors Providing Abundance of Volunteer Time, Energy and Love to Most Vulnerable Among Us.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- As the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance approaches, several pioneering intergenerational organizations are reminding the nation that seniors are among the most active volunteers serving young, vulnerable populations and that their ongoing commitment to service can become a way of life, not just an occasional duty.

"Intentional intergenerational communities help address so many social problems," said Brenda Krause Eheart, PhD, the founder and CEO of Generations of Hope Development Corporation (GHDC) and co-founder of the intergenerational community of Hope Meadows in Rantoul, Illinois. "Every discussion addressing a social challenge needs to include a conversation on how to involve seniors. They are among our most active and committed volunteers, and they are the heart of the 'community as intervention' approach to addressing social problems. They do everything from helping to build houses to kissing bruised knees."

Hope Meadows, founded in 1994, is an old-fashioned, close-knit neighborhood where families adopt neglected and abused children from the foster care system. These families live amidst neighboring "grandparents" who create a supportive, nurturing environment that helps the children thrive.

Several other groups that have been inspired by Hope Meadows and the Generations of Hope Community (GHC) model for intergenerational neighborhoods are joining together to highlight the power of senior volunteers and the "community as intervention" approach.

The Children's Village of Sonoma County, California, opened in 2006, keeps siblings in foster care together, thanks to loving "Village Parents" and neighboring "Village Grandparents," who live in apartments clustered together with the single family homes. Usually, about two-thirds of children in foster care are separated from their siblings, but at The Children's Village, they stay together.

Treehouse at East Hampton Meadow in Massachusetts is an award winning planned intergenerational village that opened in 2006. Founded by Judy Cockerton, a foster/adoptive parent, Treehouse works to provide enduring family relationships and community connections for children who have experienced foster care. Over 100 people, ranging in age from 4-90, live on Treehouse Circle in elder cottages and family townhouses. Together families and elders are building supportive relationships to enhance the lives of all Treehouse community members.

The three groups are participating in the Obama administration's "United We Serve" campaign that is calling upon Americans of all ages to take an active service role in rebuilding American communities. "Tackling social issues and supporting vulnerable populations through embedding senior volunteers into the heart of intentional communities is a dramatically different and successful approach where all ages benefit," notes Eheart. "We are pleased to be part of the United We Serve campaign and to bring this important issue to the forefront of debate on solving social issues."

For more information on how seniors can become involved in intentional intergenerational communities to help solve social problems, go to: www.generationsofhope.org