Your Quest for Home: A Guidebook to Find the Ideal Community for Your Later Years (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781494935566)

Marianne Kilkenny is the Trailblazer and Grand Nudge behind the Women for Living in Community Network. She is a speaker and coach who can work with individuals and groups to develop innovative models for living and aging in community. She is a nationally recognized expert in shared homes and other forms of community building and currently lives in a collaborative house in Asheville, NC. Her story has appeared in various media sources including NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, More Magazine, WNC Woman, Smart Money, NPR, Reuters, and the AARP Bulletin. She has conducted numerous interviews for radio, print publications, and blogs. Marianne is a popular and engaging speaker and provides workshops throughout the US on topics such as Aging in Community, Creating Community for the Second Half of Life, and A Solution to Bag Lady Fear Syndrome. She also hosts Meet-Up events in Asheville for those interested in developing ideas for community living. She can assist with others setting up similar programs across the country. Marianne founded the Women for Living in Community Network in 2007 to work with individuals interested in changing the paradigm of aging. She encourages women to take the helm on projects to create community living situations for themselves and others. The Grand Nudge, Marianne's alter ego, is the more direct side of her personality. The Grand Nudge wants you to get out of your seat and make this happen today because no one is going to do it for you. Prior to launching Women for Living in Community, Marianne worked for 25 years as a Human Resources Director in Silicon Valley. She earned her bachelor's degree in Management from California State University at Chico. Marianne pulls from many resources, including her own life experience, when speaking and teaching about community living. She is a Certified Senior Cohousing Facilitator and Trainer and also completed training in the Cohousing Development Process from the Elder Cohousing Network in Boulder, CO. While the most common form of community living for women can be seen in the "Golden Girls" model, Marianne understands the wide varieties of options and can help individuals and groups explore the right ones for their own needs. Marianne is actively enjoying a community lifestyle and likes to share her story with anyone interested in pursuing the same for themselves. She has a zest for life and brings her sense of humor with her wherever she goes.