AWARE Announces Grant Recipients for 2020-2021

(Featured Photo: Barbara Glass, President, AWARE; Carol Stabler, Executive Committee.)*

Dedicated to Fighting Alzheimer’s Disease Since 1989

AWARE president Barbara Glass has announced the grant recipients for the 2020-2021 year. Applications were submitted from nonprofit organizations located in Dallas and Collin County that are working on the front lines in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease.  

 What is AWARE? AWARE is dedicated to fighting Alzheimer’s disease by providing funding and support to programs, projects, and research provided by nonprofit organizations that actively help individuals affected by Alzheimer’s in Dallas and the greater North Texas area. In other words, the funds raised by AWARE stay in our local community.

Who is AWARE and what are the grants? AWARE is a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity.  In partnership with the Foundation, AWARE conducts an annual grant review process by which grant applicants are carefully and thoughtfully vetted to ensure that grant dollars are awarded to organizations that provide outstanding services to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, and to those research institutions that are at the forefront of medical research in the treatment, prevention, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease. 

 Together with compassion and dedication, we are making a difference. Membership is open to men and women. Join AWARE now and join the fight.  www.AWAREDallas.org

The final selections have been made and the recipients are:

BAYLOR SCOTT & WHITE DALLAS FOUNDATION: Salary support for the Baylor AT&T Memory Center to provide a trained specialist on site at the Center.  At the point of care patients and families are provided with disease education, caregiver training and support groups, elder law and financial planning, and a 24/7 helpline.

BISHOP ARTS THEATRE CENTER:  Support for the Silver Stories Storytelling Circle, a continuing program incorporating stories, music, visual arts, and dance to improve the quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

CASA DE VIDA:  Support for the Casa de Vida program at NorthPark Presbyterian Church giving respite relief to caregivers by providing trained volunteer one-on-one care for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL SOCIETY: Support for expansion of the Memory Garden nature program that incorporates horticulture, conversations, and crafts to enrich the life of those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART:  Support for Meaningful Moments, a DMA program designed to provide participants with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and their families or caregivers with ways to engage in art, providing a continuing cultural opportunity regardless of the abilities.

ED-U-CARE:  Support for a symposium designed to educate caregivers about Compassion Fatigue and build resilient professionals and family members caring for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

FOR LOVE AND ART:  Support to bring the art experience to people with cognitive impairment and limited mobility in long term care facilities to stimulate art enrichment and memories while empowering caregivers to love people in creative and transformative ways.

HIGHLAND PARK UNITED METHODIST CHURCH:  Support for the Journey Program, a no-fee program designed to allow participants with early stage Alzheimer’s and other dementias to thrive, while giving their caregivers much-needed respite.

JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE:  Support for the Older Adults Program staff to provide in-home mental health counseling, care management, and daily living support to older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, allowing them to remain living in their own home.

JULIETTE FOWLER COMMUNITIES:  Support for facility dementia care programs, including the expansion of “I’m Still Here,” a six-month intensive dementia care training program for staff members throughout the Fowler communities.

PLANO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:  Support for Healing Notes, a free music-therapy programtargeted toward low-income seniors dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. 

THE SENIOR SOURCE:  Support for the Senior Companions program matching trained volunteers with low income individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families needing assistance with meals, errands, and light housekeeping, providing caregivers with respite and/or time to work outside the home.    

THE MEADOWS MUSEUM AT SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY:  Support for the Meadows Museum memory care programs, which provides social and emotional support to those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, their care givers and partners through engagement with art.

TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES:  Support for the outpatient memory care program to provide cognitive stimulation therapy, a short-term evidence-based intervention for individuals with mild to moderate dementia.

STOMPING GROUND COMEDY:  Support for the Improv for Caregivers program, a therapeutic and psycho-educational workshop that uses improvisational comedy techniques to teach caregivers effective communication skills that are specific to the needs of Alzheimer’s patients.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER:  Support for research to develop a formula that estimates how much time a patient might have from initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s to the need for full-time care.

TEXAS WINDS MUSICAL OUTREACH:  Support for the Concerts for Seniors program providing interactive concerts in 95 nursing homes and adult day care facilities bringing joy, relief from isolation, and peace to individuals affected by memory loss.

VISITING NURSES ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS:  Support to evaluate clients of the Meals on Wheels program with a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and other dementias for need of a higher level of care.

WILSHIRE BAPTIST CHURCH:  Support for the Friday Friends Program addressing the need to provide respite for those who care for a dementia relative at home, and who have little or no assistance for relieving them of the constant care and supervision of their loved one, while providing  a stimulating day of art, music and games for the individual with Alzheimer’s.

Myrna D. Schlegel AWARE Scholarship Fund:  Support for scholarships for nursing students at Baylor University, Texas Woman’s University, and Texas Christian University toward their studies in gerontology, especially in the field of dementia.

         To learn more about AWARE, membership benefits, special events, educational programs and more, visit the website at www.AWAREDallas.org  Instagram:@awaredallas. Facebook: @awaredallas

*Photo by Dana Driensky

(Sharon Adams, Adams Communications Public Relations, is honored to represent AWARE and its gala, AWARE Affair.)