07/07/2020
I am so thankful Cathleen opened up her beautiful space at Better Day Club for our support group meetings since the group started! It is definitely sad to hear this news of Better Day Club having to permanently close. 😢 Heel to Heal will be evaluating future meetings and possible meeting space options given this news, plus Covid. More info to come! Thanks all for the support!
Dear Better Day Club Community,
We are sad to report that BDC is permanently closed. However, keep this page on your FB radar for ongoing resources and relevant dementia supports. In the meantime, read on to learn about our current status. We hope to see you in some fashion on the other side of Covid!
Nearly 8 years ago we set out on a mission to change the experience of living with dementia from one of loss to one of dignity and unconditional positive regard for our elders. We succeeded! In the safe and welcoming space of our little yellow house, we have hosted over 80 club members, and dozens of students and community volunteers. Through the shared experiences of art therapy, speech therapy, music therapy and genuine friendships we have shared SO much: laughter, wisdom, the very real challenges and pain of living with dementia and the joys of being alive, together, learning and being with friends. The reciprocal relationships we have shared with our elders have been nothing short of life changing for everyone involved in Better Day Club.
It’s with a heavy heart then, that I announce today that we must permanently close Better Day Club. Covid-19 has changed our world and our work dramatically and we cannot withstand the extended down time and associated loss of revenue to keep the building and basic expenses going any longer. There are no federal or local funds that we qualify for that make sense for our organization and would only put at this eventual decision down the road due to the way they are being offered. It will not be safe for our club members to engage in this sort of community based programming for a long time to come and it’s this one basic fact that makes the decision more than any other.
We are not alone as in the past several weeks a number of other community run programs such as Girls Inc. and small businesses have had to make similar decisions.
The number of volunteers, students, IU faculty and students, and caring folks who have graced us with time, resources, program support, donations, art, music, pet visits and so much joy are more than we could ever list. THANK YOU!
We are ever SO GRATEFUL for the 7 years of laughter, love, and the many examples of healing power of unconditional positive regard. The program we have built together and shared is one that I hope will continue to inspire us all to see what is possible when we invest in each other.
Respectfully,
Cathleen Weber, MSW, LCSW
Executive Director
