After a “goofy” icebreaker question at the monthly meetings, participants at the Syracuse Memory Cafe have time to sing, watch and sometimes participate in tai chi, Native American drumming and a ventriloquist.

The cafe, held at the Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church in DeWitt, brings all those affected by memory change, together for a relaxing meeting every month.

Tim Frazee, who started the organization, said he drew inspiration for it because of the impact that memory change has had on the Pebble Hill Presbyterian Church community. The next meeting in Syracuse is on Wednesday, Oct. 11. The cafe meets every second Wednesday of each month, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. During that time, those in attendance partake in various activities.

Frazee did not come up with the idea of a memory cafe. He said that they are very popular all over Europe. When Frazee discovered the memory cafe in Cortland, he reached out for guidance to open one in Syracuse. He planned for three months and began hosting events in January. Eight people attended the first meeting and by September, he had 36 participants, Frazee said.

Although there are people who regularly show up, there are always new faces. Out of the eight people who came to the first session, four still attend, he said.

The event begins with coffee and an icebreaker question. Frazee said that they pick “goofy” questions to learn a little more about one another. In every session, some time is specifically left open to sing. Frazee said the power of music plays an important role in the success of these monthly meets.

“People with dementia aren’t always able to remember clearly,” Frazee said. “But when they hear certain songs that they know, they just break out into them.”

At 11 a.m., some sort of entertainment is provided. Sometimes, the entertainment requires active participation from the audience.

During the meets, lunch is provided. There are times where they make the food together, but also times where they purchase it.

According to Susan Cobb, a volunteer who mainly works on decorating, each session has a specific theme to it. Cobb said that the past two themes were picnic and football.

Although the organization is entirely run by volunteers, Frazee said they have never been short-staffed. “No one has dropped out from helping,” Cobb said.

The mission of the Syracuse Memory Cafe is not to cure memory change, but to simply create a community among those who deal with it, alongside others who are indirectly affected.

“We are not trained. We are not doctors,” Frazee said. “We’re just regular Joes.”

Despite the fact that the program does not necessarily help the medical aspect of memory change, the volunteers said it still does wonders for the people that attend, bringing them a sense of unity.

“One of our guests asked if she could bring a dish of food just because she was so appreciative,” Cobb said. “We said, ‘Of course, you’re family now.’”

Linda Kaiser, a volunteer for the program, said she likes how everyone involved is treated equally. Simple acts, such as volunteers and attendees receiving the same type of name tags, are made in order to ensure that everyone is treated alike.

Frazee said the Syracuse Memory Cafe is not only beneficial for the people who come, but also for the volunteers.

“Those of us that run it have as much fun as the people who show up,” Frazee said.

Published on October 2, 2017 at 9:47 pm

Contact Raven: rarentas@syr.edu