Nurturing Worth and Dignity

Terri Hartney
Jul 16
2 min read

Vitality Respite Center provides an environment of well-being for our “friends” living with memory loss by creating a nurturing space of belonging for them and their care partners. Volunteers share their talents and gifts through structured socialization activities (music, dance, singing, exercise, games, conversation, helping others, working on community service projects); thus, providing for their spiritual, mental and physical needs. Volunteers make our “friends” feel that they are still a valued part of the community. By providing a safe and friendly environment, their care partners can enjoy valuable free time.

At Vitality Respite, we are all about “engagement and ice cream”. Our family of friends meet weekly to share good times together. You can feel the camaraderie and excitement! Volunteering is the “gift” that keeps on giving and our volunteers know how to give. They give with their time, compassion, love and understanding. Kindness goes a long way. It is challenging but truly rewarding.

We have added three new guests this month, which brings our total number to nine. We are currently integrating our new volunteers (over the summer) into our core group of volunteers. Your continued support and consideration make our efforts as volunteers worthwhile. There is a real need for our outreach ministry program. This was definitely witnessed by eight of our volunteers who attended the recent Alzheimer’s Caregiver C.A.R.E.S. Workshop at USF Health (Byrd Alzheimer’s Center & Research Center).

If you know of someone who could benefit from this program, or if you would like to be a volunteer to help in a fun and exciting environment, Vitality Respite Center is the place for you! Contact Terri Hartney, Vitality Director at (813) 689-6849, option 5 or email at vitality@saumc.net about volunteer opportunities, program participation, and/or how to support the work of Vitality Respite Center. Visit our website for information and resources.