AWARE Announces 2023-2024 Grant Recipients and New Board

Karen Koop, president of AWARE, is delighted to announce the 2023-2024 Grant Recipients and the new board of directors. 

Members of the new board are 
Dr. Kamilia Smith, President-Elect
Carol Stabler, Recording Secretary
Emily Collins, Treasurer
Stacey Angel, Finance
Ann McKinley, Membership
Gail Plummer, Grant Review
Dr. Holly Hull Miori, Immediate Past President/Parliamentarian
Nicole Bates, Inspiration
Karisti Julia, Programs
Catherine Dickson Weber, Corresponding Secertary
Veronica Shanklin, Communications; Dr. Cindy Marshall, Medical Minute
Sharon Walker, First Vice President
Bob Walker, Second Vice President

AWARE Dallas 2023-2024 Grant Recipients

Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation: Salary support for the Baylor AT&T Memory Center to provide a trained care-navigation 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 a program offering senior/elder adults customized theatre workshops and performances to enhance their social, emotional, and physical memory abilities.

Center For BrainHealth at The University Of Texas At Dallas: Support for the creation of a BrainHealth Help Line to offer guidance to caregivers and those with Alzheimer's who are seeking information and tools to help them move out of a place of distress.

For Love And Art: Support to increase staff needed to coordinate volunteers, and assist with growth for a program bringing an interactive art experience to people with cognitive impairment and limited mobility living in long-term care facilities.

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 the organization's campus-wide dementia care initiatives including I'm Still Here, Dementia Friendly Dallas, music therapy, and Caregiver support programs.

Plano Symphony Orchestra: Support for Healing Notes, a free music therapy-influenced concert designed as an interactive musical experience for seniors. The program focuses on low-income individuals living in memory care facilities and dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Stomping Ground Theater And Training Center: Support for Improv for Caregivers, a fun and interactive program for family and professional caregivers that uses improvisational comedy techniques to teach effective communication skills that are specific to the needs of persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Texas Winds Musical Outreach: Support for the Concerts for Seniors program providing interactive concerts in 86 nursing homes and adult day care facilities bringing joy, relief from isolation, and peace to individuals affected by memory loss, and providing new communication skills to their caregivers.

The Senior Source: Support for the Senior Companion Program matching trained volunteers with low-income individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families needing in-home assistance with meals, errands, and light housekeeping, providing caregivers with respite and/or time to work outside the home.

The University Of Texas At Dallas Center For Vital Longevity: Support for testing the theory that Alzheimer’s disease is caused in part by a severe decline in the brain's energy system by examining neurometabolites using MRI scanning on one of seven such advanced MRI scanners in the country. Study located in the lab of Dr. K. Kennedy.

The University Of Texas At Dallas Center For Vital Longevity: Support for acquisition of a mobile Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ( fNIRS) system with physiological measures to assess brain-physiology in broad range of adults, and to train scientists in its use and allowing a broader range of access to study participants. Study located in the lab of Dr. Chandramallika Basak.

Westminster Presbyterian Church: Support to expand the number of days offered by the Caregivers Day Out program and allow more individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias to participate and provide greater respite for their caregivers.

Wilshire Baptist Church: Support for the Friday Friends Program providing stimulating activities for participants living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and respite for their caregivers.

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

AWARE Affair 2023: An Artful Evening of Advocacy Fighting Alzheimer's

Dr. Holly Hull Miori, president of AWARE, is honored to announce Lori Bush, Pamela Musgrove and C’Mone Wingo as chairs of the AWARE Affair 2023: An Artful Evening of Advocacy Fighting Alzheimer’s. 

They are joined by Venise and Larry Stuart and Taylor Hearn as honorary chairs. Venise and Larry are longtime supporters of AWARE and community and business leaders – Venise is a former AWARE president and continues her commitment to AWARE through volunteer service on the board and more. Taylor is familiar as a LHP for the Texas Rangers baseball team. He is very involved in the community outside of his professional baseball commitment. His endorsement and standing up for AWARE and its mission is most appreciated and everyone at AWARE welcomes Taylor to the team.

  Imagine a gala at an immersive art venue and join us for the real experience on Friday, April 14, 2023 at the Lighthouse ArtSpace in support of AWARE and its mission in fighting Alzheimer’s disease since 1989. This is the fabulous venue which has hosted immersive art experiences such as Van Gogh, Monet and others.  It will be an evening of inspiring art, sounds, culinary delights, and camaraderie which includes a cocktail reception, live and silent auction, seated dinner and entertainment. Attire is Art Chic Cocktail. Tie optional.

  Honorary Chairs Emeriti are Sally and Forrest Hoglund, Lee Roy and Biddie Jordan, Kim and David McDavid, Jr., and Ellen Terry with her daughter, Amy Terry Kriegel and son, Todd Terry.

  Individual tickets are $500 each. Two sponsorship ticket levels are available at $1,200 (for 2) and $2,500 (for 2 VIP tickets) and have different benefits. Exclusive Naming Opportunities start at $3,000 up to $50,000. Sponsorships start at $5,000 up to $25,000 and have different benefits at the various levels. AWARE Affair 2023 Website Link: https://www.awaredallas.org/aware-affair

AWARE 2020-2021 Grant Recipients Announced

 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.

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 program targeted 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

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

AWARE Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Silver and Ice Dinner

2014 is the 25th Anniversary of A.W.A.R.E.

They will celebrate this milestone on April 17th at the Hilton Anatole with the Silver and Ice dinner, as they honor founders and dine with NFL legend Bart Starr. Each year, the Alzheimer's Women's Association for Resources and Education, A.W.A.R.E. raises over $350,000.00 to support Alzheimer's disease programs in the Dallas area.

 

In addition to NFL Legends, there will be a three course seated dinner, open bar, complimentary valet and a silent auction. Cocktail Attire.

 

Silver and Ice is chaired by Lisa Shardon, who is also committee chair of A.W.A.R.E. events. Cassie Roop Crosby is president.  The founders being celebrated are Ruth Sharp Altshuler, Cyndy Hudgins, Nancy Nelson, Evelyn Ponder, Billie Leigh Rippey and Anita Sampels.

 

A.W.A.R.E.’s generous sponsor Heritage Auctions is featuring three major artworks which are online now and open for bid. They are an oil on canvas by Syd Solomon, Bob-Stuth-Wade’s Terlingua Creek, Evening, 2010, watercolor on Whatman paper and Mary Vernon’s Seed Pods, 2012 oil yupo. They can be found at http://fineart.ha.com/ 

 

There is hope that scientists can overcome Alzheimer’s disease and the day may be near when there is a world without Alzheimer’s disease. Support of these wonderful events will insure that A.W.A.R.E. can continue its important work to fulfill its mission to help eradicate this devastating disease. All events benefit A.W.A.R.E., a component fund of the Dallas Foundation.

 

For details and information, visit the A.W.A.R.E. website for details: http://www.AwareDallas.org