Friends,

Sometimes, just to amuse ourselves, we like to say, “After this week, things should slow down.” 

Then we laugh and laugh because things have only sped up since Daphne Johnston stepped into the role as Respite for All’s full-time director in January. For starters: 

• In February, Respite for All hosted our annual training conference – welcoming 150 attendees from 24 cities in seven states to Montgomery for three days of information and inspiration.
• In March, we began the planning for what promises to be an amazing Brain Science Luncheon, which will be keynoted by the esteemed Marc Milstein and held at the Renaissance Montgomery on October 24. 
• In April, Daphne headed to Selma, Alabama, to train 35 volunteers preparing to open WINGS Respite Ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
• The next week our Board of Directors gathered to develop a strategic plan to guide our mission over the next several years. 
• In early May, Daphne was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, training 60 volunteers getting ready to open the first RFA model in that state – Abide Community Respite at First-Centenary United Methodist Church. 
• She’s also headed this month to Atlanta for a visit to Pleasant Word Christian Center International, an African-American congregation considering the possibility of launching a respite ministry there.
• With three respite ministries currently in process of launch (not to mention several others in the visioning stages), the RFA network should grow to 30 locations by the end of this year!
• Now, for one more really big thing: in the middle of all of this, we launched a brand new Respite for All website!

You can still find us at RespiteForAll.org, but you’ll see something very different. So please take a look at this new hub for all things RFA – more content and resources to help you grow and maintain a thriving community and tools to help you encourage others to join the network too. You’ll find a host of resources, from lists of books and websites to a video library, facts and figures related to Alzheimer’s and dementia, plus landing pages for all of our events, blogs, press, and other news items.



Of course, we can’t forget our Respite for All Roadmap alongside other training tools available for purchase. On that matter, if you are a new Respite Ministry, please take particular note of the Connection Activities Course, which delivers a 60-minute demonstration of proven activities that can turn seemingly simple games into opportunities for friends living with dementia to be part of group energy and joy. 

We truly believe this site will allow all visitors to have an informative and interactive experience that will boost their knowledge of providing support to families living with dementia.

Now that we are live, we would love your help to spread the word about this exciting news. Would you please forward this email to any of your friends, family members or other contacts who would be interested in learning how to begin a respite ministry in their area?

All you have to do is:

1. Select the forward button (arrow) when viewing this email
2. Then, personalize as needed, add your subject line, and send it to your contacts.

Thank you! As Daphne says, “We’re off to change the world!”

Minnie Lamberth

Projects Director

Respite for All Foundation