LOUDON, Tenn., Nov. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Tellico Village, an East Tennessee retirement community of more than 7,000 residents, is managed entirely by the people who call it home.
Established in 1986, the community prides itself on the socially and philanthropically active volunteerism of residents.
More than 200 self-managed clubs, organizations and nonprofits are available to those who live in the community.
Resident volunteers donate their time to increase the quality of life for their neighbors by undertaking management of everything from the fire department and boater safety patrol to the library, to the growing of fresh herbs for community restaurants. A volunteer board of directors manages the finances of the community, helping residents determine where to invest funds into infrastructure enhancements.
President Alan Hart leads the seven-member board of directors. Hart is a Tellico Village resident and volunteers his time to help assist in the decision making process for big-picture projects.
"As a resident volunteer you have a unique opportunity to choose the way your community grows," said Hart. "The board of directors facilitates the actualization of how our residents see their home."
"Living in a self-sufficient community is both empowering and humbling," said Keith Sanderson, award-winning writer and Tellico Village resident. "The people who are drawn to this place see the power in creating a neighborhood you can be proud of."
Sanderson, a native of upstate New York, moved to Tellico Village with his wife in 2014 from the Chicago area.
"We were certainly enchanted with the way the community seemed to have a feeling of confident independence," Sanderson said.
Don Skalecki, Chief of the Tellico Village Volunteer Fire Department, and his team of 36 volunteer firefighters provide safety and reassurance to area residents. The department provides emergency response in less than four minutes, well below the national average.
The Tellico Boaters Assistance Response Team (T-BART) services the 357 miles of shoreline of Tellico Lake whose shores the community sits on. Rescuing stranded boaters on the expansive lake is the organization's primary service.
A sampling of other sufficiency-focused organizations include: Thyme for Herbs which provides the bounty of its garden to Tellico Village restaurants; the Citizen's Observer Patrol (COPs) whose volunteers work to ensure community safety; WATeR which has built hiking trails and oversees water cleanliness.
For more information on volunteerism at Tellico Village, visit their webpage.
About Tellico Village
Tellico Village is a planned, active adult community established in 1986, located in Loudon County and Monroe County, Tennessee. It encompasses nearly 5,000 acres along Tellico Lake with the community continuing to grow thanks to the variety of recreational amenities available and the friendliness of more than 7,000 residents. For more information visit www.tellicovillage.org.
CONTACT
Louise Elliott
[email protected]
865.934.6492
Video - http://origin-qps.onstreammedia.com/origin/multivu_archive/PRNA/ENR/291121-Tellico-Village.mp4
SOURCE Tellico Village
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