Hope Family Village
A community-centric collaborative offering acceptance, housing, and sustainable support for people with mental health conditions and their families.
Who We Are
In the way of background, we have decided to create a village, where neighbors help neighbors. Only, our village caters to caregiving and support for family members who endure mental illness. By design, we are an inclusive group. We are ordinary families and their loved ones, and quite possibly people who want to live in a place of acceptance, where understanding, caring for and about mental health conditions is a top priority.
We began with 7 families. Stated meeting about once a month for dinner to keep getting to know each other, talk about the most recent projects. Our idea, which grew out of a brainstorming workshop staged by NAMI Mid-Tidewater (April 2016) was 25 families living together on 25 acres, with a multi-purpose common house, pathways, gardens and recreational areas. The homes might be regular single family, or condos, and incorporate tiny homes (or small condos). Above all else, we would mutually support one other and be willing to help a neighbor.
TEAM
W. Corey Trench
President, Co-founder, Director
For over 30 years, Corey consulted to the national electric utility industry on environmental matters. His speciality: the design and development of pollution prevention methods, policy and practices. Married for 40 years, the father of three adult sons, not until 2011, when a family member was impacted, did he become fully aware of serious mental illness and its consequences. Since then, Corey has worked with others to investigate care alternatives. He currently serves as Secretary of the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Williamsburg (501)(c)3) and co-facilitates weekly NAMI Family Support Groups. Of note, Corey is the start-up lodge coordinator for the first Fairweather Lodge in Virginia, a major Hope Family Village initiative. Corey holds a BS degree in Biology from the College of William and Mary and MS degree in Urban and Environmental Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Lisa R. Thomas
Vice President, Director
Until her retirement, Lisa R. Thomas worked for Child Development Resources, a children's nonprofit, for over 30 years serving as Deputy Director. When she and her husband became legal guardians of a young man with mental health issues, they found many gaps in the system of care. Lisa's focus has always been on how to maximize potential and independence for all individuals and their families. Lisa serves on the Hope Family Village Board and is active in the community with variety of organizations related to children and families. Lisa holds a BS in Psychology from the College of William and Mary, her MSW from the Rutgers University School of Social Work, and her Ed.S. from the School of Education at W & M.
Carmen M. Andreoli
Treasurer, Co-founder, Director
Carmen is a regional sales manager for Constellation Energy (a subsidiary of Exelon Energy). For 45 years, he has served the energy industry, often in executive management positions with profit and loss responsibilities. Throughout Carmen’s career he has sought innovation in energy provision. With Hope Family Village, his interest is to trigger a paradigm shift in the status quo of longterm care for families coping with mental heath issues. Carmen's motivation stems from a family member's ongoing challenges associated with mental illness. He also serves as Treasurer of NAMI Williamsburg. Carmen earned a BS degree in Accounting from St. Francis University and an MBA from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.
Thomas P. Rideout
Secretary, Co-Founder, Director
A former community bank CEO, American Bankers Association president
and Savannah (GA) Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman, Tom is
inherently community-focused. He is driven by grass roots, innovative
solutions to business and social problems, feeling strongly that
demonstrable entrepreneurial problem solving often triggers scalable
regional and national progress. Tom is currently a Partner in The Invictus
Group, a national bank data analytics consultancy and serves as a
volunteer Executive Partner at William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason
School of Business. He earned a BA degree (cum laude) in History from
Washington and Lee University, where as an alumnus he was inducted
into Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Honorary Leadership Society.
Tom completed professional development programs at the University of
Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (Investment Banking) and Georgetown
University (Leadership Coaching), and he is an Honorary Alumnus of The
College of William & Mary.
Allen H. Whitehead, Jr.
Co-Founder, Director
Allen had a 39-year career as an aerospace engineer and project manager at the NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. In his early years, he conducted basic research on hypersonic aerodynamics. His career culminated in the management of several national, multi-agency projects on advanced aircraft and space vehicles. Allen has been married for 52 years. He and his wife are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of four. Allen became aware of the devastating effects of mental illness when a family member was struck with schizophrenia. He is a board member of NAMI Williamsburg. He holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University and a MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia.
Sandra Mottesheard
Co-founder, Director
Sandra is the current 1st Vice President of VA National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Affiliate leader/Program Director for NAMI Mid-Tidewater. Sandra is an experienced Rehabilitation Counselor and holds an MS in rehabilitation counseling with a specialization in special education from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BS in Psychology. Married 33 years, Sandra and husband received their child’s diagnosis of severe mental illness at young age of 13, they became highly involved in advocacy. Sandra worked as a rehabilitation counselor for 10 years on a specialty caseload serving individuals with severe mental illness. She has been involved in outreach for over 20 years in rural communities helping to arrange disability awareness events, served on Governor’s Crisis Response workgroup and Center for Behavioral Health and Justice among others. Sandra is a state licensed Certified Rehabilitation Provider, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Offender Workforce Development Facilitator and Global Career Development Facilitator.
Blog
It has been a long time since I have posted. Like many of you, families and caregivers, life changed in mid-March 2020. We had our last supper, so to speak, of Hope Family Village families at Jimmy’s in March. Jerry and Joy, one of our founding families, were bravely there. They are in their mid- to late 80s. They have always encouraged me. Been very active in NAMI Williamsburg, operating exhibits for both Hope Family Village and NAMI. For the … read more
In real life we see and know angels. Andrea (an-Drey’-ya), as she preferred to be called, was such an angel. For those of us who knew her, we experienced her bright light. Corey, Andrea, and Courtney, Hope Family Village Dinner,Jimmy’s, December 13, 2018Photo: Dave Ress, Daily Press Two qualities distinguish angels. They exhibit an uncommon kindness and thoughtfulness that is beyond everyday humanity. And, they are mischeviously fun. While I knew Andrea but three years, from the moment I met … read more
No, it’s not Muzzorgsky. It’s Hope Family Village. I had thought of entitling this post, 2019: Year in Review. Then, I thought that this year our accomplishments we can show in pictures. And, one photograph, taken by HFV member Jim Thomas, stands out. We journeyed for 5 years to reach this point. In October, we celebrated with a potluck supper, with family and friends, the opening of the first Fairweather Lodge … read more
Post Author: Tom Rideout During late May/early June 2019, I had the great fortune to represent Hope Family Village by attending the Annual National Cohousing Conference in Portland, Oregon. I was accompanied by another Williamsburg area volunteer, Shannon Casey, who is a brilliant Green Housing designer/developer and fully committed to caring for fellow humans suffering various neuro-diversity issues. The conference program was rich in both content and subject matter experts, so for optimal learning leverage, with two exceptions, we gladly … read more
After two full years of meeting at The Coffee House, envisioning the future, operating our virtual lodge, we became a real one on July 1, 2019. The first Fairweather Lodge in Virginia. Pictured are its first members, their lodge coordinator, at the their new home