Marking their sixth annual funding cycle, the Board of Directors of the Cape Ann Community Foundation (CACF) announced in June that they have awarded grants to ten Cape Ann area non-profit and community organizations. Age & Dementia Friendly Cape Ann (ADFCA) is excited to be one of the awardees.
“We wish to congratulate the ten successful grant applicants and we would also like to commend and express our thanks to all the Cape Ann area non-profits and civic organizations that submitted proposals. My fellow Board members and I were greatly impressed by the quality of every grant application, and we encourage applicants who were not successful this time to come back to us for future funding rounds. We also urge all Cape Ann residents and visitors to buy the Cape Ann License Plate, to ensure that we will have ample funds to support more of these worthy initiatives,” said CACF Board President Ruth Pino. “Just $20 a year is added to our registration renewals, but the benefits for Cape Ann that these dollars help deliver are immeasurable.”
ADFCA will utilize the grant to create Memory Kits for those living with Alzheimer’s and their loved ones and care partners. A Memory Kit is a box or bag filled with items and activities centered around a place, time, or theme. Kits can also be centered around a particular decade or around activities such as cooking, outdoor recreation, music and dance, or travel.
For people with Alzheimer’s disease and their loved ones, a remembered moment from the past is a gift. Memory loss and confusion are the hallmarks of dementia and Alzheimer’s, as the diseases progressively damage brains cells, but photographs, music, and memorabilia from the past can trigger memories and provide a bridge for caregivers and loved ones to communicate and connect.
The Memory Kits will be created in partnership with the Councils on Aging (COA) of Essex, Gloucester, Manchester, and Rockport and SeniorCare Inc. The kits will be loaned out free of charge to interested residents through these community partners.