AWARE Announces 2017

Save the date for the AWARE Affair: Celebrate the Moments gala on Friday, April 13, 2018!

The president of AWARE, Venise Stuart, has announced the recipients of grants for the 2017-2018 fiscal year. These grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations located in Dallas and Collin County that are actively engaged in combating Alzheimer’s disease. The selected recipients include:

• Baylor Health Care System Foundation– Funding provided for the salary of a Ph.D. Neuropsychology Intern at the Baylor AT&T Memory Center.
• Center for BrainHealth – Discovery Group– Support for the Discovery Group, a program dedicated to assisting individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s and related dementias, focusing on enhancing abilities and leveraging strengths to foster engagement and slow disease progression.
• Dallas Museum of Art – Memory Moments– Funding for honorariums, materials, and staffing for Memory Moments, a program that helps participants with Alzheimer’s engage with art in ways that are both refreshing and fulfilling.
• Jewish Family Service– Support for the salary of a Clinical Social Worker to deliver independent living services to adults with Alzheimer’s and related dementias, along with their families and caregivers.
• Juliette Fowler Communities– Funding for individual and group therapy sessions led by a Certified Music Therapist for memory care residents, along with the purchase of additional instruments and therapeutic materials.
• NorthPark Presbyterian Church – Casa de Vida– Support for the Casa de Vida program, which offers respite to families and caregivers by providing personal care for individuals with Alzheimer’s during art, music, games, and lunch activities every Thursday from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
• Texas Winds Musical Outreach– Funding for two concerts at 87 nursing homes and adult daycare facilities catering to individuals with Alzheimer’s and similar conditions.
• Presbyterian Communities & Services Foundation – Broad Strokes– Support for the Broad Strokes program at Grace Presbyterian Village that offers music and art therapy for residents dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
• The Senior Source – Senior Companions– Funding for the Senior Companion Program, which pairs volunteers with individuals with Alzheimer’s and their families needing help with meals, light cleaning, and companionship.
• UT Southwestern Medical Center– Funding to support Dr. Roger Rosenberg’s research and clinical trials on a DNA Vaccine aimed at clearing amyloid plaques in the brain to prevent or hinder Alzheimer’s disease progression.

AWARE is also pleased to announce the Myrna D. Schlegel AWARE Scholarship Fund recipients, Nora Drutz-Rogney, who is pursuing studies at Baylor University, and Lindsay Ross, who is set to attend Texas Christian University in Fall 2017.
AWARE’s mission focuses on combating Alzheimer’s disease through grants to nonprofit organizations engaged in this critical work within Dallas and the North Texas area. The AWARE fund collected applications through the Dallas Foundation’s Field of Interest grant program, selecting those groups that notably provide services, educational programs, and resources for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s, as well as research initiatives aimed at prevention and cure.

AWARE takes pride in supporting nonprofit organizations aligned with its goals to combat Alzheimer’s. “Together we can effect change.”
The grants are partly financed by proceeds from the upcoming annual fundraiser, AWARE Affair: Celebrate the Moments, scheduled for April 13, 2018. Further details will be provided soon. The event will feature both silent and live auctions, a three-course dinner, and dancing.
Membership with AWARE is open to all interested individuals. Through membership, participants can engage in various opportunities to contribute to the vital fight against Alzheimer’s disease.

* Networking – Members can connect with a community of individuals, many with personal experiences related to Alzheimer’s through family, friendships, or professional involvement in the field.

* Education – Members have access to current insights on Alzheimer’s causes, treatments, and research via meetings, excursions, and guest speakers.

* Resources – Members collaborate to share knowledge and establish best practices for the compassionate care of their loved ones with Alzheimer’s disease.

* Donations – Members can rest assured that the grant recipients from the AWARE fund have undergone a thorough vetting process conducted by The Dallas Foundation, ensuring that community investments yield optimal results in the battle against Alzheimer’s disease.
For additional information regarding AWARE Affair: Celebrate the Moments, the grants, or membership opportunities with the AWARE organization, please visit our website at www.awaredallas.org. The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)(3) publicly supported charity, is the fiscal sponsor of AWARE.