“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”
-Matthew 11:28
Our Mission: First Church Respite Ministry is dedicated to fostering a compassionate community for individuals living with dementia and providing vital support for their caregivers. Through fellowship, education, and respite services, we aim to promote meaningful connections, ensuring that every individual experiences love, respect, and joy as they navigate life with dementia.
What is Respite: Respite is a weekly program that provides a fun, engaging environment for participants to enjoy social and recreational activities in a joyful, community setting while giving their caregivers much-needed respite.
Our Method: Through creative arts, music, trivia, physical and intellectual fitness, and fellowship, Respite provides opportunities for social connection and fulfillment for participants. A day at Respite may be spent singing old favorite tunes, playing balloon volleyball, creating artwork, and a hot lunch. At the same time, caregivers get a much-needed break, knowing their loved one is in safe, caring hands. This low-cost, high-engagement program is facilitated by the Respite director and a group of passionate, highly trained volunteers. Because this is a social program, no medical training is required to become a Respite volunteer.
While we understand that Alzheimer’s and dementia diseases are progressive conditions, the participants who would most likely benefit from the program are those who can participate in group settings for a long period and are able to feed themselves and move around independently.
Our Framework: First Church Respite Ministry is part of a larger network of respite ministries adopting a volunteer-based model of care promoted by the Respite for All Foundation (RFA) to support individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia as well as their caregivers.
Our Why: This ministry aims to reach far beyond the doors of First United Methodist, truly being a “community ministry.” We invite everyone in the area living with a dementia-related disease who would benefit from these social and relational activities.
For more information about enrolling someone in the program or joining the volunteer team, please contact Kirstin Gartner, Respite Director.
Staff
Kirstin Gartner
Respite Director
Email Kirstin