Field Report

July has been about learning and connecting. A trip to Seattle, several partnership meetings, new city and agency outreach, and the launch of our new website are all moving us closer to opening. The priority now is securing a space so we can do so. Details, where the board can help, and a proposed in-person meeting are below.

01 Seattle trip (July 14–17)

Purpose: study how Seattle connects memory support across a whole system, and learn directly from Elderwise, the practice that shapes our approach to memory-friendly care.

Meetings:

• Elderwise: Shanta Sabersky (founder), Janet Salsbury (director), Chiara Cuccio (program coordinator), and several Elderwise facilitators.
• The Memory Hub / UW Memory & Brain Wellness Center: Marigrace Becker, MSW, the central connector for the Seattle network.
• Taproot Theatre Company "Re-Ignite the Mind": Pam Nolte. Frye Art Museum: Petra, who runs the Alzheimer's Café.

What I took away: Seattle links clinical diagnosis (UW), a shared physical hub (The Memory Hub), engagement offerings (Elderwise, memory cafés, garden programs), a grassroots movement (Momentia), care partner support, and statewide policy. The Elderwise Way, meeting each person as they are, is directly transferable to what we are building. Two practical takeaways: the Elderwise team welcomed me by invitation to observe and learn their approach directly, which, together with the Old Friends Club model below, gives us a proven and replicable path to serve as a starting point; and the music therapy I participated in during a session at The Memory Hub reinforces our Greater Chicago Music Therapy partnership. Longer term, the Memory Hub model is one to advocate for on a systems level.

02 Partnership meetings

Greater Chicago Music Therapy

Met Mia Krings. GCMT is a mobile practice of board-certified music therapists who deliver sessions where members are. Proposed weekly group music therapy at $165 per 45-minute session, including planning, delivery, and clinical notes. Missions align on dignified engagement. A written proposal is in progress. This partnership anchors our application to the ACM Lifting Lives 2026 grant cycle: $8,580 to fund a full year of weekly group music therapy for our members. The application is drafted and ready. We are waiting on Greater Chicago Music Therapy's letter of support before submitting.

Elderwise and the Seattle network

An ongoing relationship, with a possible role helping Elderwise develop a training, plus introductions through The Memory Hub to expand our own network of partners and funders.

Old Friends Club (Bob Delf, met July 24)

Old Friends Club (OFC) is a nonprofit respite model that EngAGE Beverly could join as an "Affiliate." It is a possible fast, supportive path to providing programming once we open.

• Background: Bob and his wife founded OFC after a memory day center closed, so families could keep their respite. They have created a Toolkit for affiliates starting new clubs.
• How it runs: Bob is founder and ED, as a volunteer. Costs are low and grant-funded. Affiliates are asked only for club attendance data. It operates like a franchise but with nonprofit goals; a franchise is called an Affiliate.
• Requirements: a commercial space that is ours (recommended), usable five days a week. Break-even is five to six families attending twice a week. Bob's guidance: the demand will be there, so do not let challenging landlords or unresponsive Boards limit us. He explicity advised against churches for this reason, which is something to consider.

Next steps with OFC: Bob sent a budget worksheet, space requirements, and an affiliate agreement. Once the agreement is approved and signed, OFC releases the Toolkit and $2,500 to start our programming.

03 City and agency outreach

I attended a Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) meeting at the Chicago Public Library in Bronzeville to build face-to-face connections. DFSS houses the Department of Aging, and my earlier email outreach to that department was not fruitful. Hopefully this connection will lead to a direct line into city aging services.

04 Website is live at www.engagebeverly.org

• The site has moved from .com to www.engagebeverly.org. My email is now julie@engagebeverly.org. If you would like an email address within our domain, please let me know.
• Website has been updated with new context, a clear mission statement, and a "Community Calendar" and "Resources We Love" section, serving as our "digital hub."
• Please consider waiting to share the site until the IL Attorney General's office officially approves us as a charitable organization in the state of Illinois so that once the site it shared, the links to support EngAGE Beverly can be live and ready to receive donations. We already have IRS 501(c)3 status, but this is a final hurdle to pass before we can legally begin soliciting donations.

05 Space to open Urgent

06 Live Board Meeting (early to mid-August)

As we close in on the time to "go public," I would like to gather the board in a live session (in person and/or virtually) in the first half of August. Please check every option that works for you and send your availability. I will confirm the time that works for the most people.