Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: New Member Mentoring Guidelines

[Alicia George (ajgeorge]

I’m responding to interest from Elderberry Cohousing in how different 
communities mentor new residents. At Takoma Village Cohousing (TVC) in 
Washington, DC, the Orientation Pod — currently made up of 4 long-term members 
— provides a “buddy” to welcome, inform, and engage each newcomer, from closing 
on the sale to the first few months after moving in.

The process begins with our Resale and Rental Pod, which works to identify 
potential buyers who will likely be active members of our cohousing community. 
Interested parties are encouraged to explore the public area of our website to 
learn about our history, facilities, and values. Potential bidders are 
encouraged to attend a business or team meeting, a scheduled workshare day, and 
a community meal to get a sense of life here. So new members arrive with a good 
idea of what they and we can expect.

Once the buyer closes on the unit, the Orientation Pod (aka O’Pod) jumps in. In 
the following examples, I’ll call the orientation buddy Goldie and the new 
owner (or renter) Newton.

To start, one member of the O’Pod — in this case, Goldie — volunteers to be 
buddy for Newton. Between closing and move-in, Goldie stays in contact with 
Newton, sending a series of welcoming emails with a timely sequence of info to 
help Newton prepare for the move. For example, one email includes instructions 
for accessing our listserv to acquaint Newton with current issues and events. 
The email also provides password access to the entire TVC website with pointers 
to key sections and encouragement to browse.

On move-in day, Goldie (or another O’Pod rep) is available to greet Newton and 
help coordinate moving van parking and elevator use. If Goldie also offers 
dinner that night, they’re off to a beautiful friendship.

After a week or so — to give Newton time to unpack and settle in — an O’Pod 
member schedules the first of 3 meetings, called the Sign-on-Session. This 
session provides a detailed look at our extensive website, which includes a 
resident directory, calendar of upcoming events, meeting minutes, forms, and 
photos. A feature called Fast Facts provides quick links to useful information 
and resources, providing a handy reference for both old-timers and newbies. 
Newton is guided through the menu contents and features, calendars, and most 
especially, how to sign up for community meals or join a cook team.

About a week later, Goldie meets with Newton for an in-depth orientation to how 
things get done here. The O’Pod developed and regularly updates a boilerplate 
agenda, which the buddy can customize. The orientation agenda reviews topics 
like governance, decision-making, workshare, security, and homeowner 
responsibilities. Did I mention workshare? During the orientation session, 
Goldie reminds the newcomer of expectations for participating in administrative 
tasks and physical maintenance. In consideration of Newton’s skills and 
interests, Goldie suggests teams, tasks, and facilities that might be a good 
match.

The third meeting is a walk-through of the common house and outdoor areas. Over 
the years, the O’Pod has compiled a list of unwritten norms and practical tips 
about each area. For example, Goldie explains norms around food left in the 
common house fridge, taking herbs from the garden, laundry room etiquette, and 
what the heck to do when someone’s car is parking in your space!

Over the next few months, Goldie checks in with Newton, answers questions, 
gives advice, encourages attending meals and events, and follows up on 
engagement in workshare. Meanwhile, the Community Team hosts a wine and cheese 
event for the whole community to welcome the new resident.

It’s taken many years (over 2 decades!) to develop all this. We invite your 
feedback, and would be happy to share our pre-move emails or our sign-on, 
orientation, and walk-through agendas.

Sharyn Neuwirth
shneuw3 [at] gmail.com <mailto:shneuw3 [at] gmail.com> 
Orientation Pod Point Person
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC