NEW YORK (April 25, 2016) — The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA), a non-profit organization founded to fill the gap that existed on a national level, assuring quality of care and excellence in service to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses and to their caregivers and families, awarded one of its Spring 2016 Bi-Annual Grants to Giving Back, an outstanding non-profit member organization in Paia, Hawaii, that shares AFA’s mission of providing optimal care to individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related illnesses, and their families.
The $5,000 grant enables Giving Back to continue to develop and enhance educational and support services, and support families in need in their communities. The grants are a critical funding source for grassroots organizations, which play a pivotal role in their communities.
Giving Back’s mission is to prevent injuries from falls, and enhance cognitive functions among the elderly. The organization does this by employing fit elders as mentors to more frail elders, practicing exercises together in a safe, loving environment as part of their Move with Balance program. To find out more about the program, you can visit them at www.movewithbalance.org.
“AFA strongly believes in helping grassroots organizations in local communities in order to improve quality of life for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and their families,” said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., president and CEO of AFA. “The organizations that were selected for these grants have demonstrated to be a remarkable resource for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease. The grant will allow Giving Back to develop a model for dementia and Alzheimer’s clients, and individualizing the program for the mentees. I congratulate Giving Back, and encourage them to keep up the great work.”
“We are thrilled to receive this funding from AFA. We plan to get our innovative Alzheimer/Dementia curricula and original music available on our website, and ready for national distribution,” said Karen Peterson, executive director of Giving Back.
“Besides each Alzheimer’s mentee having their own mentor, we include family caregiver(s) in our program by having them attend the classes with the mentees. We have found they DO the exercises between classes, and the results show. We are encouraging the whole family be involved, including children.”