The latest news for you

Respite Community Opens in Chapel Hill, NC

On August 24, RFA executive director Daphne Johnston was in Chapel Hill, NC, conducting volunteer training for “R Place,” a new respite community serving our friends living with Alzheimer's and dementia that is being sponsored by the Orange County Department on Aging division for Aging Transitions. This is the first RFA-inspired community in North Carolina, and it’s also the first time the Respite for All volunteer model has been replicated outside the faith community. As Daphne says, we are going to learn a lot! “R Place” opens on September 6 and will be held at the Robert & Pearl Seymour Center in Chapel Hill every Wednesday from 10am - 2pm.

Connecting RFA to the Alter Network

On August 19, Daphne presented the Respite for All model during an online “meet and greet” with Alter, a network made up of 63 African-American churches in 14 states. Founded by Fayron Epps, PhD, RN, an associate professor at Emory University, Alter’s mission is to inspire and equip faith-based organizations anchored in African-American communities to better support families affected by dementia. RFA has been thrilled to engage with Dr. Epps and Alter’s mission – and, in fact, the RFA board of directors has voted unanimously to invite Dr. Epps to join the board. We are so excited about this partnership and where it will lead!

Coaching Calls for RFA Communities

RFA has begun regular coaching calls to help our network of Respite Ministries get tips and feedback from their sister ministries. A dozen directors from various locations in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi and Kansas joined us for a lively Zoom conversation on August 21. The overall theme for the call was “Volunteers,” and we enjoyed hearing a lot of input about training, guiding and celebrating the individuals that are the backbone of Respite. During our September coaching call, we’ll discuss “Holiday Planning” to help directors prepare holiday-themed activities and events that bring joy to the season.

Coming Up...

Next month, Daphne will be traveling to Wisconsin to lead a full-day workshop on the Respite for All model. "Creating Hope: Confronting Dementia with Meaningful Action" will be held on September 28 at Jacob’s Well Church in Chippewa Falls, WI.

On September 20, Daphne will lead a session during a virtual conference on building dementia-friendly communities in the state of Washington. The conference is being organized by the University of Washington Memory and Brain Wellness Center.

Brain Science Luncheon - October 24

We still have a few tables available for our Brain Science Luncheon on October 24. Email Daphne@RespiteforAll.org if you and your guests would like to join us for Dr. Marc Milstein’s uplifting presentation that offers tips to lower the risk of dementia and maximize braining health.

The mission of the Respite for All Foundation is to inspire, grow, and mentor Respite Volunteer Ministries for communities seeking to minister to persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia disorders through education and shared best practices. Visit RespiteforAll.org to learn more.

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Montgomery, AL 36106

Phone: 334-440-9911

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