A friend suggested that I drop the word “company” from “Village Company 360.” His suggestion helped me to see that I hadn’t clearly communicated something BIG:
As much as fostering care communities for & by neighbors, Village Company 360 is about fostering care economies from neighborhoods up.
What do I mean by that?
I mean inspiring and equipping neighbors to create care goods and services for neighbors.
So, the way I see it, it’s important for me to put “company” front and center: It both differentiates my work from the prevailing nonprofit village movement and clarifies that what I’m developing isn’t itself a village but something to do with villages and business.
Let me make clear that my desire isn’t to reduce care into financial transactions—I’ve cared for neighbors and others out of kindness and civic-mindedness for decades and don’t plan to stop any time soon. Or to stop working to rouse people to join me.
At the same time, I’m thinking about sustainably meeting growing care demands:
Countless workers are saddled by debt and U.S. family caregivers—mostly women and particularly women of color—are already providing staggering amounts of unpaid labor. A recent AARP estimate puts the value as high as $600 billion in 2021.
It’s time to give people a more compelling village offer than volunteering alone.
As I hinted at, Village Company 360 will work to connect people with no thought about money. But it will also work to connect people to ideas and resources to create income through local care economies, thus creating wins all around.
This blog will introduce businesses to spark ideas for emerging carepreneurs while at once spreading the word about existing services and potential places to look for a job.
To kick things off, meet Naborforce.
A service that provides light support for older adults who need a hand from time to time, Naborforce is similar to existing U.S. villages except that it doesn’t offer programs and its offerings are pay as you go and for profit.
The company offers customers with help around the home, errands, transportation and companionship for a flat fee with a one hour minimum. “Nabors” who provide the services can earn flexible income and set their own schedules.
Naborforce currently operates in the following locations:
- Atlanta, GA
- Bethesda/Potomac/Chevy Chase, MD
- Charlottesville, VA
- Dallas, TX
- Fort Worth, TX
- Northern Virginia
- Richmond, VA
- Virginia Beach, VA
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