CLEARLAKE — The winning ticket for a beautifully-crafted quilt sporting a log cabin design and Raiders” motif was pulled on Wednesday at the Alzheimer”s Day Care Program at St. John”s Lutheran Church. Proceeds from the fund-raiser benefit programs providing support for area seniors.
The quilt was made and donated by Noreen Westphal, of Clearlake Oaks. “Noreen is a master quilter and has been quilting for many years. She had three quilts in the recent quilt faire at the Lake County Fairgrounds,” Eva Johnson, director of Alzheimer”s Day Care Program at St. John”s Lutheran Church, said.
“She had made the quilt for a family member who turned out to be a 49ers” fan, not a Raiders” fan. She had to make another quilt and wanted to donate this one to raise money for our programs,”
The winning ticket holder was Doug Nicoll, of Vermilion, OH, whose grandmother said she had bought more than 20 tickets for the raffle all in the name of her grandchildren.
The winning ticket was drawn by Ruth Matz, a newcomer to the south county area who holds special interest in advocating services for seniors. Matz is a former member of the Alzheimer”s Association of Ireland and said she would like to continue to be a voice for seniors here in Lake County.
“There”s only one way to go with services for seniors and that”s forward,” Matz said.
Matz is being welcomed to the community with open arms. “We appreciate Ruth”s support and we want her to feel welcome. We can use all the help we can get” Johnson said.
“Ruth worked with the Alzheimer”s Association in Ireland and wants to continue her work to promote Alzheimer”s services in Lake County. She has some great ideas. She will be participating in a memory walk this weekend in Petaluma and wants to see a similar event in our community.”
Proceeds from raffle ticket sales will benefit the day program”s scholarship fund. “Scholarships help participants who can”t afford to pay come to our programs,” Johnson said. “We turn no one away.”
The Thrivent for Lutherans has committed to matching funds for ticket sales. Matching funds will be directed toward Senior Support Services of Upper Lake, which provides outreach, advocacy and support for at-risk seniors on the northern shore of Clear Lake.
The adult day care and respite programs are available for people with Alzheimer”s or other cognitive impairments. The programs provide respite for the caregiver and a safe environment for the participant. Participants enjoy a variety of activities and have an opportunity to gain the social interaction they may be missing without such programs.
“The program is a lifesaver,” a recent survey respondent said. “It gives my mom a chance to mingle and not do the same thing at home over and over again. She may not remember, but she is happy in the moment.”
Local programs also offer caregiver support groups, which allow caregivers to interface and exchange ideas on how to manage care for a person living with Alzheimer”s or other cognitive impairment. “A valuable program ? for both the participant and the caregiver. The respite and the support groups have lightened the burden immensely,” another survey respondent said.
The Alzheimer”s Day Care/Respite Program of Clearlake, located on Memory Lane, offers programs from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Northlake Adult Day Center, located at the First Lutheran Church of Lake County, 3863 Country Club Drive in Lucerne, offers respite care from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Thursday.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
