We are responding to the commentary in last week’s Gazette by Polly Simpkins on her father’s 86th birthday.

Thank you Polly for your heartfelt and caring article about your dad and those who struggle with memory loss. You are the model caregiver and your dad, as he already knows, is very fortunate to have such a caring family and supportive community. It has been our privilege to spend every Wednesday morning with your dad and the others on-Island who struggle with memory loss. For one of us, the journey began working for a clinical trials company studying Alzheimer’s disease, and going back to school to complete a long ago started doctorate focused on Alzheimer’s disease and caregiver needs. For the other it was a journey that led to the Edgartown Council on Aging and the rewards of working every day with seniors from all walks of life. For us it was the magic of a connection that complements each other’s skills and creativity.

The services that have evolved from our collaboration followed Martha’s Vineyard Community Services generously supporting a caregivers group in 2012 for those caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or some other form of dementia. The caregivers requested a support group for those they care for and this was generously funded through a grant from the Farm Neck Foundation to Community Services. The Edgartown Council on Aging provided the services of Victoria Haeselbarth to co-lead that group. The memory group ran two 12-week programs. At the end of the first group we were confronted with the group statement of, you’re not going to abandon us are you? So the group continued with some donations from attendees and the support of Community Services. Without ongoing funding, the group was at risk of ending.

In July 2014, Ann Smith of Featherstone welcomed the group to a new and larger venue with the addition of music and art therapy, and the program expanded rapidly. We continue to have two groups with 12 to 15 people attending weekly. Music is provided by an Island musician with a special interest in music and memory, and art by Featherstone artists. There is no charge for attendance, but donations are gratefully accepted.

A grant to Community Services from the Tufts Health Foundation funds a support group specific to the needs of caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. That group is currently in progress and would welcome additional members.

Recognizing the growing need for services, we brought together some of the community leaders who are currently involved in caring for those with memory loss. Our first meeting at Featherstone included Ann Smith, Leslie Clapp from the Center for Living, Mary Holmes from Windemere and the two of us. We identified a priority: to assess current needs and services, link resources and build a comprehensive plan to respond to those findings. In collaboration with the Center for Living, a grant proposal was submitted to the Gimbel Foundation to assist with this process. But grant or no grant, we will continue to move forward.

Our second meeting included a part-time Vineyarder, Mary Wagner, who wants to develop a memory café on the Island. You may know that Mary Holmes at Windemere established a monthly memory café on site that is open to the public, offering music and socialization. Mary Wagner’s concept, fashioned after a model in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., expands the Windemere concept. Thanks to her efforts, we have been offered space at the YMCA for the off-season months to start a weekly memory café — a great start and a huge thank you to the Y.

There is no charge for the caregiver support group, the memory support groups or the memory cafés, however, donations are gratefully accepted by the hosting agencies.

As Bill Hall is fond of saying: “Positivity is what it is all about. I don’t have yesterday and I don’t know what tomorrow will bring but I have today . . . this moment . . . and I am going to make the most of it.”

That’s what we do in all the programs we offer, that and have fun!