Shorewood Renews Commitment to an Age-Friendly Future
On October 6, 2025, the Shorewood Village Board approved a three‑year contract with Vashti Lozier to continue leading and updating the community’s Age‑Friendly Plan through the Shorewood Senior Resource Center. The agreement covers the 2026‑2028 period and ensures that the existing project will continue.
The Age‑Friendly Plan is Shorewood’s roadmap for making the village a place where people of all ages can thrive. As part of the AARP/World Health Organization Age‑Friendly Network, the plan focuses on improving walkability, accessibility and community engagement so that residents can live, work and play comfortably at every stage of life.
Renewing this contract benefits not just seniors but families across the North Shore. Initiatives like safer sidewalks and crossings, accessible transportation options, better lighting and resting benches along common routes, and intergenerational programs bring kids, parents and grandparents together. For families exploring parks or walking to school, these upgrades mean more comfortable and secure outings.
The Senior Resource Center will continue to host classes, wellness events and volunteer opportunities that connect older residents with the broader community. By investing in these services, Shorewood is signaling its dedication to maintaining a vibrant, inclusive community for all generations — today and into the future.
Since its inception in 2008, a few of Shorewood Connects’ accomplishments include:
The popular Fall and Spring Yard Clean-Up Days for older adult households, connecting volunteers of all ages with older and those with disabilities
The creation of the “Shorewood Neighborhood of the Year” and "Shorewood Neighbor of the Year" annual recognition awards
A focus on developing more opportunities for intergenerational interaction in the community (resulting in 2014 designation by Generations United as being one of the four "Best Intergenerational Communities" in the country)
Reducing the stigma associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia and linking caregivers and people with dementia with resources, education and support via the Shorewood Dementia Awareness Work Group
Offering social engagement via the Shorewood Memory Cafe at Three Lions Pub in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association of SE Wisconsin and the Milwaukee County Department on Aging, as a monthly drop-in program for people with memory loss and their caregivers
Completing a five year Age-Friendly Plan for the Village as part of our role as the first community in Wisconsin to become part of AARP's Age-Friendly Communities Network
The Steamer Appomattox—once the world's largest wooden bulk carrier at 319 feet long—offers families an incredibly rare opportunity: a National Register shipwreck so shallow and accessible that kids can actually see it from the surface.