“The local program here at First United Methodist Church averages about 15,000 hours of volunteer time, serving our community from 10a.m. to 2p.m., three days a week with art music, hot meal served among friends,” said Johnston. “Really, it’s just the interactions and the relationships. The Respite For All Foundation has helped launch 20 volunteer programs all the way from Washington down to Tampa, Florida, and we just opened two in New York last week.”
RFA’s goal is to use this training and resource manual to expand the number of programs nationwide to change the way that society cares for the growing number of people living with dementia.
“We’ll be able to do annual training for all the directors we’ve helped launch, we’ll be able to apply that money to help open new respite volunteer models across the country,” Johnston explained. “Our goal is to have a respite, volunteer program in every state, so that local faith communities can drive to their local states and see how to inspire and how to apply this kind of care.”
“They’re serving such a critical need, respite care is vital,” said Chris Schneider with the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. “For anybody who’s caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease. It gives the caregivers a break, it gives stimulation and socialization opportunities to the individual living with dementia. And it’s the services needed all across the country and the fact that they have a model that works.”
RFA was founded in 2018 by Warren Barrow, a care partner whose wife was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Dementia at age 48, and Daphne Johnston, the Executive Director of the original Respite Ministry at the First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.
For more information about the Respite For All Foundation visit https://www.respiteforall.org/
For more information about AFA visit www.alzfdn.org or call AFA’s Helpline at 866-232-8484, seven days a week.
Copyright 2021 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.
To Read the Original Article, Link Here: https://www.wsfa.com/2021/12/20/montgomerys-respite-all-foundation-wins-25k-grant/
