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Vitality Respite Center
NURTURING WORTH AND DIGNITY
Vitality Respite Center is a safe and loving place for those with memory loss to engage in fun activities and connect with others, while offering peace of mind and personal time for their caregivers.
Our Story
As St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, we want to reach out into the community to share God’s love by supporting families who have loved ones with memory loss due to Alzheimer’s Disease or related Dementia disorders. Our new Vitality Respite Center provides stimulating and fun activities for our special guests, while giving their loving caregivers a valuable break, or “respite”, for a short time.
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The purpose of Vitality Respite Center is to give caregivers some time off, to shop, run errands, share time with a friend, or just rest! Meanwhile, we host their loved ones offering socialization, brain-stimulating activities, music, art, and a wholesome lunch in the care of a qualified director and specially trained volunteers.
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Vitality Respite Center is open to guests on Tuesdays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Depending on the demand, the program will expand to include Fridays, as well.
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Vitality Respite Center is based on a national model called Respite for All, based in Montgomery, Alabama. There are over 30 respite centers in nine states to date – Vitality Respite Center is the first in the immediate Tampa Bay area. It is our goal to nurture a sense of worth and dignity in all our guests through our care and support.
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We are very excited to meet you and your loved one, or someone you might know that might qualify for Vitality Respite Center. Our goal is to provide valuable support to YOU in this wonderful community that we serve.
Our Foundation: Respite for All
The Respite for All Foundation helps churches and senior service organizations create joyful, uplifting weekday programs for our friends living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Through this social model of care, droves of volunteers come together to create a place of belonging filled with enriching activities – while giving care partners support, understanding and a much-needed break from the challenges they’re experiencing.
The Respite for All model doesn’t provide a cure but instead introduces relationships for healing and fosters social connection for all involved – participant, care partner and volunteer. Respite for All had its beginnings in 2012, when cofounder Daphne Johnston established a volunteer-based Respite Ministry at the First United Methodist Church in Montgomery, AL. After receiving national recognition, she and a care partner, Warren Barrow, saw the potential to replicate the program and established the Respite for All Foundation in 2019 to advance the volunteer respite model and help launch sustainable RFA communities across the nation. By 2025, the model had expanded to 60 locations in 18 states.
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This documentary highlights respite communities in Montgomery, Alabama; Birmingham, Alabama; McDonough, Georgia; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Meet The Team
Annual Report
2024
Vitality Respite Center Annual Report highlights our commitment to providing exceptional care and support to individuals and families in need. This year's report showcases our achievements, the impact of our services, and our vision for the future. We are proud to share our progress and express gratitude to our dedicated staff, volunteers, and supporters who make our mission possible. Together, we continue to foster a community "Nurturing Worth and Dignity".
From Our Guests & Caregivers
My mother has been attending Vitality Respite Center since it began. It has been a godsend. My mother is 95 and has Alzheimer's and became very depressed for a few months. I try my best to keep her busy and happy but sometimes she needs the company of others. This program fits the bill perfectly! She absolutely loves it! The staff and volunteers are the NICEST people, and they make my mom feel so special. I, without any hesitation, highly recommend Vitality Respite. Not only is it good for my mom, but it gives me, as her only caregiver, a much needed break.
Thank you for helping us both.
Lisa Cartwright, Tampa
Resources
Discover supportive tools, helpful guides, and compassionate resources designed to empower caregivers navigating the journey of Dementia and Alzheimer’s care for their loved ones.
Join Us at Vitality
If you know of one 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.
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Vitality Respite Center is a Ministry of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church
This center is made possible by a grant from the Brookdale Foundation.