“We have a staff that cares so deeply, and many of them have walked this journey themselves,” Amazing Place Development Manager Suzanne Weatherall said. “The biggest goal is to reach as many people as we can, because many think you can do it all on your own.”
Weatherall discovered Amazing Place when her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease several years ago. His diagnosis changed her life.
“I wanted to try to help, but I didn’t know how to. My career is in commercial real estate,” Weatherall said. “Whenever this happened in my life, it really made me turn toward a different purpose.”
After benefitting tremendously from the organization’s support services and caregiver classes, Weatherall decided to give back, first by volunteering and then by taking on a full-time position a few years later. Now, Amazing Place is constructing a second location, Amazing Place West in Katy, and Weatherall is supporting the new campus by building community relationships, leading fundraising efforts and promoting the organization's mission and services throughout the local community.
The campus, located at 621 Circle deMatel Dr., is set to open in the spring of 2025 and will support affected adults and their caregiving families through the organization’s caregiver programs and support groups, including its Day Program, cognitive stimulation therapy, family caregiver support and brain health education.
The evidenced-based Day Program offers participants with mild to moderate dementia a safe and engaging environment where they are able to socialize, eat nutritious meals and participate in activities to stay active and focus on improved quality of life all while giving their caregivers much needed respite.
Amazing Place actively supports caregivers as well. By taking a holistic approach, the organization offers families and friends caregiver education on understanding dementia, managing behaviors, and interacting effectively with loved ones. The organization also offers an increasing number of opportunities for caregivers to interact with one another and build a community for those facing similar challenges.
The organization’s mission includes promoting dementia awareness, since an estimated 45% of cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes. Its brain health education programs, which include 45-minute Brain Health Matters presentations and memory enhancement training, are offered to the community at no cost.
It takes a village
Community support is critical to the organization’s success. Amazing Place offers its presentations and classes at little to no cost, and though it charges a fee for Day Program participation, the fee does not cover the actual cost. For these reasons, Amazing Place programs rely heavily on the philanthropic community and volunteers.
“We cannot survive without our volunteers,” Weatherall said. “Our volunteers teach Bible study and art class. They come in and do presentations. They sit alongside and visit with our participants.”
The generosity of our donor community has made it all possible, including constructing the new campus. A fundraising campaign is underway to pay for Amazing Place West’s building expenses, as well as initial staff expenses and operating funds.
“Sometimes people think when you break ground and they see [a building] under construction, ‘Oh, good, they're done. It's all over with.’ We are not, we need the support of the Katy community to finish the Amazing Together Campaign!” Weatherall said.
The organization is raising campaign funds through the Amazing Place West Inaugural Dinner, which will take place at Beckendorff Farms on Sept. 17. The event’s guest speaker is Dan Buettner Jr., who is actively involved in the Blue Zones Project created by his father.
Another upcoming event raising operating funds is the AP 2024 Annual Dinner, which will take place at the Revaire on Oct. 23. Its keynote speaker is Dr. Mark Milstein, author of “The Age Proof Brain.”
To learn more about programs and services, becoming a volunteer, or making a donation or to purchase tickets to the upcoming events, visit the Amazing Place website today.
The above story was produced by Community Impact's Multi Platform Journalist Team with information solely provided by the local business as part of its "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
