Who We Are
Mission
The mission of Community Without Walls is to enhance the ability of members to age well and to be able to make choices that will permit us to “age in place,” preferably in our own homes or, if changing personal circumstances dictate, in other residential settings. In furthering this goal, CWW engages in activities that include social support, education and advocacy.
History
CWW was founded in 1992 by four friends living in Princeton, NJ, whose combined personal and professional experience with their aging parents, social work clients, and research, indicated that continuing social support is a key component of aging well. In the absence of an established model to guide them, they developed the concept of a “community without walls” to contrast it from the then-existing senior residences with walls, often the only next stop for aging individuals without adequate support to enable them to remain in their homes and communities.
CWW became a membership organization of individuals dedicated to pursuing mutually supportive activities to enhance members’ ability to grow older in their own homes and communities, for as long as possible, successfully and with dignity. This concept clearly filled a need, and from an initial small group of founding members, the organization has grown to include more than 350 members who live in four Central New Jersey counties. Over the years CWW and its members have had a significant impact on the communities in which we live by serving as a catalyst for increased options for care management, senior housing, transportation, and lifelong education. This was accomplished through personal involvement, educational conferences open to all, and advocacy contacts with public officials and the media.
Structure
Houses
CWW is organized into five Houses or chapters, each with 50 to 100 members, Officers, and a Steering Committee, its House governing body. This structure allows the members of each House to get to know each other over time, developing a true sense and spirit of community. That sense and spirit allow members to feel comfortable asking each other for help when needed, accepting help when needed, and giving member-to-member social support. As each existing House reaches its chosen membership capacity, a new House is formed and today CWW has six Houses. Houses largely set their own programs, always within the scope of CWW Inc.’s mission. New members may join an existing House if it has openings, or CWW, Inc. may help new interested people start a new House.
Dues
Members carry out administrative and programmatic activities of the organization on an unpaid volunteer basis. Since CWW doesn’t have paid staff, annual membership dues are modest.
Leadership
The umbrella 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation Community Without Walls, Inc, to which all Houses belong, has a Steering Committee that sets policy, provides oversight, and arranges for common needs such as insurance and rental of space for the annual corporate meeting. The CWW, Inc. Steering Committee consists of two delegates from each House plus the CWW founders, and selects its President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer from among its members.
CWW, Inc. officers for 2018-2019 are:
- President, Karen Schotland
- Vice-President, Vicky Bergman
- Secretary, Judith Adler
- Treasurer, Dick Bergman
The annual meeting of all of CWW’s Membership is held in September. There is a short business meeting during which CWW’s President reports on the year’s highlights, and the fiscal year budget is presented for member approval. Some years the business meeting is followed by a program, usually a speaker, or an entertainment or performance on a subject related to CWW’s Mission. The annual meeting concludes with refreshments and an opportunity for members of all the CWW Houses to interact.