Sometimes it takes a village, not only to raise a child, but to keep that child going through adulthood and beyond. That’s the idea behind Vineyard Village at Home — a program that connects elderly Vineyarders with a network of service providers who help ease the challenge of living independently on the Island.

“We have plumbers, electricians, we have handymen. We have people who will take the garbage to the dump. We have people who will cook, companions, people who will do accounting or bookkeeping or just pay your checks,” said Polly Brown, who founded Vineyard Village in January of 2008. The program’s Web site describes it as a “one call does it all” resource for the elderly.

The idea was to get these Islanders help maintaining their homes, getting to doctors appointments, and socializing. For an annual fee, members can call the Vineyard Village office to arrange rides to appointments and social events, or request services at their home. “All they need to do is call us and say ‘I need X,’ and we’ll find a way for that to happen,” said Ms. Brown. “We’d even come to somebody’s house and have a tea party for them and bring their friends.”

Vineyard Village works together with other organizations that help the elderly, including the Councils on Aging and the Vineyard Nursing Association. And different service providers around the Island are available to help members promptly, often at a discounted rate.

Some 35 volunteers provide the rides. “They often form friendships, which is really nice,” said program coordinator Jane Hawkes. “We have members and volunteers that actually do things out of school, as it were, on their own, because of the friendships they’ve made.”

The volunteers go through a screening process that includes a background check and personal references. Drivers must provide valid licenses and proof of insurance. And service providers are asked for references and licenses, if relevant, and are generally referred by people closely associated with the program.

The idea started when Ms. Brown began to research the need for a continuing care retirement community on the Vineyard. Focus group studies showed a slightly different need base. “Half said I can’t sell my home or I don’t want to sell my home and I certainly don’t want to leave home, so what I really need is help staying here,” she said. With Vineyard Village, she set out to do just that and more. “We work with anybody who provides services that the elders need,” said Ms. Brown. “And we also encourage our members to call us up to tell us that they need a ride to the movies or to a friend’s house. We encourage people to get together and socialize and we’ll help make it happen.”

The program was modeled after Beacon Hill Village in Boston. Beacon Hill supporter Dr. Timothy E. Guiney, a cardiologist who practices once a week on the Vineyard, sees a great need for a similar service on the Island. “One of the things about Vineyarders is their independence. They want no part of being in somebody else’s place, they want to stay in their own place” said Dr. Guiney. However, many people don’t know where to turn to get the help they need. “I think Vineyard Village fills in a gap that is not widely recognized,” he said.

The annual fees for Vineyard Village range from $700 for individuals to $1,000 for a household, but assistance is available for those who can’t cover the costs.

“We like to think a lot of people know about it, but then we bump into someone who says, ‘Gee, I’ve never heard of you,’” said Ms. Hawkes. “So we’re constantly trying to think of new ways to get the word out to people.”

Their latest target is the adult children of elderly Island residents. “They may live in New Hampshire, and they’re trying to figure out a way to help their parents long-distance,” said Ms. Hawkes. “We’ve contacted a number of these adult children and been able to help them by signing up their parents. Then they know that we’re kind of looking after their folks.”

Today, there are more than 50 members utilizing the Vineyard Village network. Ms. Brown hopes the number will continue to rise and believes the Vineyard will only benefit from the growth.

“I saw people moving off Island because they didn’t want to maintain their homes anymore,” said Ms. Brown. “Or they couldn’t drive and they were isolated . . . It was a shame to lose them. We don’t want to lose the character. We don’t want to lose people who have given so much and been such a great part of the Vineyard.”