Mission

We began as a group of NAMI families caring for adult children diagnosed with mental illness. We quickly discovered a common interest - the critical need for innovative, affordable, permanent housing options. We created a vision: a community-centric collaborative offering acceptance, housing, and sustainable support for caregivers and their loved ones. The founding families are making that concept real. We call it HOPE FAMILY VILLAGE.

What We Do

A startup nonprofit (2017), we facilitate, create and develop housing, friendship support, connection opportunities for both people living with a serious mental illness (SMI) and their family caregivers.

First, we will open the first Fairweather Lodge in Virginia (July 2019). This is a home, a created family, where stable, unrelated adults will live interdependently, accountably, autonomously in a neighborhood. All will be required to work and contribute to the community. They are coached by a non-resident, lodge coordinator.

We are developing a pedestrian, neighborhood community of acceptance at Eastern State. Designed for 25 caregiving families and their loved ones diagnosed with SMI, its prominent feature will be the Common House. The community's living room. The community post office. A place where meals can be shared on a regular basis. The basic community design will employ the principles and practices of cohousing and Fairweather Lodge. Not only will this community cater to its residents, but our neighborhood will serve to de-stigmatize mental illness for the broader community and demonstrate preventive and chronic care.