With the help of FSU College of Social Work students Kayla Bennett and Jeff Dupuis, Alzheimer’s Project, Inc. and several other community organizations treated 75 local youths to a night at the movies at Movies 8 Tallahassee, afterwards presenting them with goodie bags filled with school supplies. Some of the service agencies that participated included Capital City Youth Services, Big Bend Hope Community, and Grandparents as Parents (GAP).

“It was heart-warming to hear the kids yelling in excitement to open their bags and find pens and other school supplies,” MSW student Kayla Bennett said.

Alzheimer’s Project, Inc., a local non-profit, has provided aid to people with memory disorders and their caregivers in the Big Bend for over two decades. It may seem out of character that this Alzheimer’s community resource decided to sponsor an event catering to children and adolescents.  But, recent data revealed that one third of Project Life Saver clients, a free service provided by the Alzheimer’s Project, are under the age of 15. So, the Alzheimer’s Project decided to celebrate the youths that they serve.

Project Life Saver
Project Life Saver, provided in conjunction with LCSO and Pilot Club of Tallahassee, serves individuals who have a tendency to wander away from safety/supervision, Alzheimer’s Project’s Clinical Director James Smith explained.  Individuals with memory disorders have a tendency to wander without telling someone and this becomes a problem when they are unable to communicate that they are lost and may not know where home is.  The program reduces stress for individuals’ families since prior to the program they would have to file a missing person’s report, drawing out the process of locating the.

“With Project Lifesaver, once the Sheriff’s office is notified that the person is missing, there is a 90 to 95 percent chance that the missing person will be found and returned home safely within thirty minutes to an hour,” James Smith said. “When working with vulnerable populations, a speedy recover y is greatly needed.”

To learn more about Project Life Saver and Alzheimer’s Project, Inc. visit  www.alzheimersproject.org.