The local circle · Boulder first
Neighbors who help. Caregivers who own their work. Families who belong. One local circle, in your zip code — the last mile of care, owned by the people in it.
Not a new idea. Two proven ones, finally on one system.
The circle has three rings
RING ONE
The Village ring: people nearby who give rides, make calls, check in, fix the railing. Mutual help, logged in hours — not money. Most members give and receive.
RING TWO
The cooperative ring: professional caregivers who own their work — living wage, a voice, a stake. Worker-ownership is why they stay, and why the care holds.
RING THREE
The members: families growing older at home — care that's counted, supported, and paid for with the pre-tax dollars you already have. You belong before you ever need a shift.
What the apps get wrong
The hardest part of caring for someone you love isn't the work — it's doing it unseen. Most technology answers loneliness by turning life into a number to rank. A circle does the opposite: your care is counted, but never compared. The one number you will never find here is your place in line.
Your hours are logged and visible to you — an honest receipt of work that used to be invisible. They are never set against anyone else's.
When your circle reaches out after a hard week, it says "I see you" — a note, a meal, a few hours back. Encouragement, never a leaderboard.
How heavy it has gotten is yours alone. The reward for a week in the red is a human quietly reaching out — never a label, never a public mark.
Why this works — the honest version
Since 2002, ~300 dues-funded “Villages” have let older adults age in their own homes by zip code. About 40% of members volunteer for one another — rides, calls, small repairs — coordinated, not random. Proven for twenty years. Village to Village Network →
Cooperative Home Care Associates is the largest worker co-op in the U.S. Worker-owned home-care co-ops run caregiver turnover around 24–36% — roughly half the ~64% industry norm. Not a slogan: ownership is what keeps caregivers, and continuity is the whole point. PHI →
Both have existed for decades — apart. The Village has neighbors but no professional labor; the co-op has labor but no membership. co-op.care puts them on one system, in one zip code. That's the new part.
Live — Boulder first
Sorted by where a circle is forming — never by who's biggest. A circle goes active when five people join. Be the first in your part of town.
Gathering the circles…
Your town isn't here?
I'm joining as a…
Starting a circle makes you its first member. No dues today, no obligation — just the first hand raised.
Want the operator's view? How a caregiver starts a co-op → · Assess your family's needs → · What could you save? →