OUR VILLAGE
Most parents these days find themselves overwhelmed, under-resourced, exhausted and desperate for time to relax, recharge and reconnect with our own sense of purpose beyond parenthood. Without the "village" of the past, a network of friends, neighbors and family who are readily available to help us find some time for self-care, we're left to pay for expensive childcare, forgo taking care of our own needs, struggle to run our small businesses with children underfoot (or defer pursuing our awesome business ideas until the kids are all in school), isolate ourselves, forego critical date nights, lose connection with ourselves and miss out on so much life has to offer beyond our precious babies.
And we don't think this is ok. Not anymore. So we're doing something about it. We designed Family Village as a reimagined modern-day village concept. We provide workspace to get your work (or bills) done. We provide yoga and other wellness and fitness classes to get your body feeling stronger. We provide educational forums and workshops to get your mind excited again. We provide social events and support groups to help get you connected. We provide comfortable seating (and pillows and blankets) to let you rest. We provide a fully stocked coffee and tea bar to help you focus. We provide date nights to help rekindle those neglected relationships.
All the while, your children are in our nurturing and cooperative childcare space just down the hall.
Thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, The Family Village Cooperative is very close to becoming a reality. Since we are still in the early stages, member-owners who join now will get the unique opportunity to get involved from the ground up and shape our organization as it grows to fill everyone’s needs. During this campaign, anyone who contributes as a "Future Member" will be offered a Founding Membership, which includes many benefits, including free childcare hours and access to the center and during our "soft opening" time frame, invitations to our family-friendly Grand Opening Party; and a one-year locked in membership rate, once dues are finalized and membership agreements are signed.
We believe Family Village is a concept that families all around the country need. And it is our hope that Family Village in Longmont will be the first of many centers to come. We ask for your financial support to get this project off the ground so that we can mold and shape this into something bigger so that even if you don't live nearby, someday soon a Family Village can open in your community too!
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OUR STORY
We are parents searching for space. A place to belong. A place to recharge. A place to relax. Even when our hair is in knots, our kids are disheveled and our houses are a mess.
We are searching for time. To get that yoga class in. To get those calls made. To get that business started. To have a deep dark conversation about how hard this parenting thing can be. To get our creative juices flowing. To be listened to and lifted up.
We are searching for support. Someone to reach out when we need it. Someone to give us advice when we ask for it. Only when we ask. Someone to take our kids off our hands when we’re on the brink. The brink of losing it. Or, the brink of a breakthrough.
We are searching for community. A group of people who get it. To be a part of something greater than ourselves. To remember that we’re not alone. To experience how powerful we are together.
We are done doing this alone. We reclaim our space. We reclaim our time. We reclaim our support. We reclaim our community.
We are Family Village.
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OUR MEMBERSHIP
We offer membership levels, tiered based on the number of childcare hours per month you'd like. We also offer a CoSolve co-working membership level for those interested in having a dedicated desk with 24/7 access to the building.
Member-owners receive with their monthly fees:
- unlimited access to the Family Village community center during our open hours
- childcare hours, (# based on the level of membership) up to 3 hours per day
- free yoga, meditation, fitness and other classes (some specific classes will be fee-based, but there will always be free classes daily)
- support groups
- free coffee, tea and other refreshments
- access to social events
- voting rights
- ownership
Member-owners have the responsibilities of:
- paying monthly fees on time
- providing 4 hours of work trade per month (or $50/mo upcharge in member fee. Also note that work trade hours required may be reduced by contributing a higher-valued task. For example, teaching an hour fitness class translates to 2 hours of work trade, whereas an hour of childcare assistance or front desk staffing would require the full 4 hours of work trade)
- voting and attending in membership meetings
While subject to change until the bylaws and membership agreement are finalized, this is the projected dues and fees schedule for Family Village:
| |
Basic |
Standard |
Plus |
Premium |
Platinum |
CoSolve Co-Working |
| Price/ Month |
$35 |
$60 |
$100 |
$160 |
$300 |
$550 |
| One-Time Initiation Fee |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
| Additional childcare hours |
$5.25 |
$5.25 |
$5.00 |
$5.00 |
$4.50 |
$4.50 |
| Second Adult Family member (at same level) |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$25 |
$250 |
| # of Childcare Hours/ Month |
4 |
8 |
16 |
28 |
60 |
60 |
| Required Work-Trade Hours/ Month (or $50/ mo upcharge) |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
| Unlimited Access to Family Village Space During our Normal Business Hours* |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
| Free Family Village Classes |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
Y |
| 24/7 Access to building |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Y |
| CoSolve Dedicated Desk |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
Y |
*SPECIAL NOTES:
Unlimited Access to Family Village Space During our Normal Business Hours* (*unlimited access may become restricted at a later time if traffic patterns force the issue)
Cooperative Membership will only be final and binding once the bylaws of the Cooperative are finalized, the full membership fees are paid, and the membership agreement is signed.
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OUR COOPERATIVE MODEL
Family Village is a Cooperative (Co-op), which means as a member you don't just utilize our business, you own it. We all share in the responsibilities, the operations and the outcomes of our business. And we chose this model because it exemplifies what we're about: community, collectivism, collaboration and connection. This is not a business with outside investors or a private owner to appease... we operate to serve the membership. And the membership serves the business by paying their membership fees, providing work-trade hours, participating in annual votes and attending membership meetings.
OUR SPACE
The Family Village community space is located on the first floor of CoSolve, a collaborative co-working space within the old Times Call building. This building is conveniently located in downtown Longmont and also houses Longtucky Spirits; a community focused micro distillery, and the St Vrain Cidery; a hard cider tap house featuring 24 selections on tap from cideries all over Colorado!
Within our main community center, we have :
- modern but cozy sitting and relaxing areas, private rooms for therapy, support groups, massage and other wellness treatments
- a quiet room for meditation or naps
- comfortable workspaces,
- a variety of conference rooms
- fully equipped restrooms with showers
- a resource area with books, business cards and flyers to help navigate parenthood and our local area
- a fully stocked coffee & tea bar
- a fitness room with Zumba, aerobics and other invigorating classes
The childcare area is located in an adjacent dance studio, Moriarty Moffitt School of Irish Dance where the kids are entertained and nurtured by a highly qualified Childcare Director as well as a team of energetic and loving member-parents who designate their work-trade hours towards providing care for our Village kiddos. The kids' activities include:
- Storytime with a few Spanish options
- Art projects
- Guest performances
- Dance parties
- Yoga and meditation classes
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OUR PROGRAMMING
Because of our business model requiring work-trade, our schedule will include a large variety of FREE classes, workshops and programs, offered or facilitated by our members. The offerings currently proposed include:
As our membership grows, our offerings will continue to evolve and grow. We look forward to experiencing and learning from the amazing talents of our diverse members!
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OUR 10% COMMITMENT
As a community-oriented organization, it is important to us to be of service to each other but also to the greater community. With that, we pledge to use 10% of our membership income to be of service.
We will use this money in several ways:
1. We will build a scholarship fund to enable local parents who otherwise would not be able to afford a membership to be able to have one
2. We will develop programs to provide support to parents in challenged times. This could be a meal-train, a gift basket to welcome their new little ones, a personal visit to their home to help adjust post-partum.
3. We will support other local organizations that focus on helping families with young children.
