Community Foundation of Sarasota County Grants $16,000 in Alzheimer’s Funding to Local Human Services Organizations
SARASOTA, FL – The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded more than $16,000 to local human services organizations working with an emphasis on the research, treatment or other support for the victims of Alzheimer’s disease and their families. Each year the Community Foundation allocates a number of grants to support organizations working in this field. Grantees are selected through a review process by a committee of Foundation staff and community members.
This year’s awardees are as follows:
Alzheimer’s Disease & Related Disorders Association-Florida Gulf Coast Chapter – $2,500 to underwrite the salary of one Program Specialist for the Sarasota County Caregiver Connection. The Caregiver Connection is a coordinated array of services designed to address the unique needs of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and includes their caregivers. Some of these services include Care Consults, Caregiver Trainings, Respite Care, MedicAlert + Safe Return and Memory Mobile.
Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast – $3,000 to provide specialty therapeutic activities to 15-20 persons diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease while their caregivers are engaged in support groups at the JFCS main campus. Some activities include expressive art therapy, music therapy, yoga and meditation, and ballroom dancing. A key component of the project has been to increase opportunities for caregivers to participate in formal support, education, training and connections to community resources to reduce and enhance their coping skills.
Pines of Sarasota Foundation – $4,625 to provide a community outreach program that includes ongoing training to support caregivers. This training will be filmed and edited. Once complete, copies of the program will be made available to a large audience of caregivers in our community and beyond.
Senior Friendship Centers – $5,000 to support The Living Room adult day care program in both Sarasota and Venice, which offers a safe, caring and stimulating setting for elders with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia and frailty while also allowing family caregivers the time to work and take care of themselves. This grant will fund the purchase of two televisions and equipment for the program and also provide over 500 hours of scholarships for the program.
Jewish Housing Council Foundation – $2,194.40 to purchase the certification program for “Music and Memory” which includes a starter kit of 10 iPods and 10 headsets, as well as 5 Spotify accounts. The “Music and Memory” program will certify staff in creating and providing personalized playlists for those struggling with Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive and physical challenges with a connection with the world through music-triggered memories.
About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of over $304 million in more than 1,300 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling more than $24.8 million dollars this past year in the areas of education, health and human services, the arts, animal welfare, and the environment. Since our founding, more than $184 million has been invested back into the community through grants and scholarships. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org.
