Bethany Community Services to Add Club Connection Memory Café with Cummings Grant

Bethany Communities celebrates its receipt of a Cummings Grant.

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Bethany Community Services plans to add a Club Connection Memory Café with $75,000 over three years coming from the Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program.

The Haverhill-based organization was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process and becomes one of 150 nonprofits to share in $30 million. Bethany Communities is comprised of three downtown Haverhill properties including Merrivista, Mission Towers and Phoenix Row apartments which provide affordable senior housing. With both independent and assisted living options available, there are nearly 400 senior residents who have access to supportive services, affordable nutritious meals and transportation and a diverse range of engaging activities and events.

Jered Stewart, president and CEO of Bethany Community Services, said “With support from Cummings Foundation, we will now be able to provide an added supportive service, with the Club Connection Memory Café. This memory café will provide a safe and interactive environment for our residents and allow them to continue to age in community with dignity.”

The Club Connection Memory Café will offer support to Bethany residents who are struggling with age-related memory problems and an opportunity for supportive engagement activities for them and their family members or care partners.

As an additional offering of Bethany Communities supportive services menu, the program will be led by Director of Wellness Jeanette Martinez and coordinated by Linda Maxwell. Maxwell, who retired from her prior role with Bethany Communities as a resident service coordinator, will lead the two-hour sessions and create programming to include hands-on activities, guest speakers and memory loss friendly events and outings. There will be no cost to participate, and the program will also be open to the public with registration required. Bethany anticipates the Club Connection Memory Café to open in late summer/early fall of this year.

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.

“The way the local nonprofit sector perseveres, steps up, and pivots to meet the shifting needs of the community is most impressive,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes.

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 46 different cities and towns.

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