By Debbie Wilder, Church Member and Director of the Gathering at WHPC
Most WHPC members are familiar with the Gathering, our church’s ministry that provides a four-hour respite program each week to families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and similar dementias. The Gathering is designed to provide the person with AD a chance to socialize in a warm and loving atmosphere. Activities are designed to keep the participants busy in meaningful and dignified ways. The Gathering is also intended to offer the caregiver four hours a week of time to run errands, go to doctors’ appointments, visit with friends, or just go home to a quiet house.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Gathering has been unable to meet in person since early March. The families that are served by this ministry have been isolated by the virus concerns, and caregivers who were once able to get a break from their 24/7 caring have been shut in at their homes. Unfortunately, this has created extra stress; three families have chosen to place their family members in memory care facilities at a difficult time when no visitors are allowed.
The volunteers at the Gathering have tried to maintain contact and support with all of the participants and their caregivers during the pandemic. Volunteers have put together small gifts of potted plants, cookies, brownies, and other treats, and then delivered them to each participant’s home. Deliveries are always made lovingly, with safety in mind, using masks and social distancing. The treat is placed on the front porch, the doorbell is rung, and the volunteer stands 10-15 feet away to see if the caregiver and participant want to come outside to visit. Sometimes these visits have lasted as long as an hour!
Volunteers made cupcakes to deliver to participants and caregivers in celebration of Independence Day.
A Gathering participant with her safely delivered treats.
Volunteers have also provided personal support to families as needed. Groceries have been picked up and delivered. One of the caregivers lost her mother during this time, and volunteers provided meals for the family. Volunteers from the church sewed masks for the participants and caregivers, and those were delivered by the Gathering volunteers. Volunteers who haven’t been able to leave their own homes are making phone calls to families and sending notes and cards of encouragement.
Another way we’re maintaining contact is through Zoom meetings on Fridays. Volunteers set up the meetings and use the time to visit and to talk with the participants and their caregivers about the particular theme of the day. For example, on July 3, four volunteers interacted with six participants and their caregivers. The volunteers asked the participants and caregivers how things were going and then talked about the significance of Independence Day. The volunteers said it was fun to hear about each person’s various experiences with celebrating this particular holiday and their special memories. One volunteer worked a Fourth of July puzzle and showed participants a computer-generated firework display from the virtual Gathering website. They all sang the Star-Spangled Banner national anthem and then closed in prayer. Typically two of these Zoom meetings are held each week with different volunteers and participants in each one.
During this difficult time with COVID dictating isolation for these families, we would invite WHPC members to keep the Gathering, including participants, caregivers, and volunteers, in your prayers. Specifically, we invite you to pray for:
Patience, endurance, and health for caregivers; and
Encouragement of Gathering volunteers to continue support and connections with participants and their caregivers and to find new ways to share God’s love with them.
If you are finding yourself with some time on your hands and would like to provide a homemade gift of some kind of treat for these families, or you’d like to help deliver, please contact LuCinda Chiles (512-791-7382) or me, Debbie Wilder (512-965-6262).
