Exhale Memory Café Collective

The Exhale Memory Café Collective, funded by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Health Foundation for Western and Central New York, is an opportunity for greater Buffalo-area arts and culture organizations to learn about memory cafés and receive financial support to launch a memory café in their communities. In a 27-month program (October 2023-December 2025), the Collective will provide training and support for participating organizations to plan, implement, and sustain vibrant and successful memory cafés. The Exhale Memory Café Collective will begin with a nine-month Discovery Phase culminating in a grant application opportunity, followed by an 18-month Implementation Phase for invited grantee partners.

The Exhale Memory Café Collective is a program of Exhale – The Family Caregiver Initiative.

What is a memory café?

A memory café is a gathering place offering social support and connection, socialization opportunities, better health, and wellbeing to older adult participants and their caregivers in a welcoming environment. Occurring in a wide range of settings with a wide range of programming, memory cafés provide essential support to caregivers and their loved ones. Cafés have been shown to be particularly helpful for those living with memory loss and other cognitive challenges. Cafés focus not on illness but on engagement in activities to improve memory and brain health, keeping older adult attendees mentally and socially active while at the same time providing a positive, supportive, bonding, and rejuvenating experience for caregivers of all ages. Memory cafés also provide caregivers with information, resources, referrals, and a network of support. Memory cafés are expanding across the United States, mirroring the dramatic increase in Americans who have or are expected to have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the coming years.

Program Information

Project Team

  • The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI) – program management and direction and grants management
  • Beth Soltzberg, Director, National Memory Cafe Percolator Network – expert training and technical assistance on memory cafés
  • Crowley Webb – communications, survey design, and administration
  • Teresa Lawrence, International Deliverables, Inc. – training in creative problem solving
  • West Falls Center for the Arts, I’m Still Here Foundation, and TimeSlips – memory café technical assistance providers
  • New York Academy of Medicine – evaluation team

Discovery Phase

Intended as a low-risk, low-commitment learning opportunity, the Discovery Phase (October 2023-July 2024) is an opportunity for participants to learn about memory café operations, explore potential partnerships with other organizations to enhance café offerings, and decide if becoming a memory café operator makes sense for their organization. At the end of the Discovery Phase, participating organizations become eligible to apply for memory café grant funding.

Caregiver Survey

Administered by Crowley Webb, a caregiver survey provided participating organizations with direct input from their caregiver and older adult constituents on memory café programming preferences, scheduling and logistical needs, and other interests that could help inform memory café design, planning, partnership formation, programming, and operations. The caregiver survey will function both as a data gathering tool and outreach mechanism for participating organizations.

Aggregate survey findings were shared at Workshop #1 in January 2024 (described below). Following the survey, interviews were conducted with caregivers from each organization’s contact list. The goal of the caregiver survey and interviews was to help inform participating organizations’ memory café planning and design efforts.

Training Workshop Series

Through the five workshops detailed below, the Collective offered training in memory café operations, including how to plan, budget for, and implement a memory café.

Workshop #1

January 26, 2024 | 1:00-4:30pm | In person in Buffalo, NY
Participants met one another and the Collective project team; reviewed program goals, timeline, and key activities; discussed results of the caregiver survey; and learned about memory café basics, best practices, budgeting strategies, and resources for getting started from Beth Soltzberg, a national memory café expert.

Workshop #2

February 26, 2024 | 9:00am-12:00pm | Virtual by Zoom
Participants received training from the Alzheimer’s Association of WNY on understanding dementia and working with persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia; continued training on memory café operations from Beth Soltzberg; and had an overview of the grant application process and timeline.

Workshop #3

April 3, 2024 | 9:00am-12:00pm | Virtual by Zoom
Beth Soltzberg continued building organizational capacity for memory café implementation, including in volunteer recruitment and deployment. In addition, representatives from West Falls Center for the Arts, I’m Still Here Foundation, and TimeSlips shared about their memory café models/approaches and how they support organizations interested in adopting their approach.

Workshop #4

April 22, 2024 | 12:00-3:00pm | Virtual by ZOOM
Teresa Lawrence provided an overview of creative problem solving and its potential applications in the Collective. Insights on future café funding sources and potential sustainability strategies for memory cafés were also discussed.

Workshop #5

May 16, 2024 | 1:00-4:30pm | In person in Buffalo, NY
Participants had the opportunity to work on their grant applications with real-time technical assistance and support from Beth Soltzberg, TPI, Teresa Lawrence, and other technical assistance providers (as requested).

Discovery Phase Workshop Series Resources

Memory Cafe Workshop #1 – January 26, 2024

Memory Cafe Workshop #2 – February 26, 2024

Memory Cafe Workshop #3 – April 3, 2024

Memory Cafe Workshop #4 – April 22, 2024

Memory Cafe Workshop #5 – May 15, 2024

Additional Resources

Implementation Phase

Discovery Phase participants selected through the application process were invited to join an 18-month Implementation Phase from July 2024-December 2025. During this phase, invited partners will receive grant funding, have access to ongoing technical assistance from the project team, and participate in a peer learning community that will meet three times. Grantee partners will be asked to participate in a Collective network evaluation conducted by the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM).

2024 Cohort 1 Awardees

Artpark & Company – Sensing Here & Now 

Sensing Here & Now at Artpark celebrates Memory Cafe guests by embodying the organization’s mission to “foster a transformative world of engagement” through relaxed, interactive, sensory-rich activities accessible for all and restorative for care partners. Each session is centered around music, communal movement games and opportunities for unforced social interaction. All attendees have the agency to participate or simply observe. Artpark’s Memory Cafe occurs on the third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3:30 pm ET. Light refreshments will be provided.    

For more information, visit their website here or contact Wendy Diina at wdiina@artpark.net.  

The Ashford Hollow Foundation 

The Ashford Hollow Foundation’s Memory Cafe aims to create a supportive, engaging environment for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers, enhancing their quality of life through art, social interaction, and nature. Griffis Sculpture Park, renowned for its extensive collection of outdoor steel sculptures by both national and international artists, presents a unique opportunity to host a Memory Café that leverages the healing and stimulating effects of art and nature. The Memory Cafe will rotate through numerous activities including a guided experience of the sculptures led by knowledgeable docents, art-making workshops inspired by the sculptures, and nature walks.    

For more information, visit their website here or contact Nila Griffis Lampman at nila.griffis@gmail.com. 

Buffalo History Museum 

The Buffalo History Museum will host a Memory Cafe once a month with caregivers and their loved ones. The unique exhibits in the museum will inform the different topics each month like culture, innovation, and family traditions. Participants will join a discussion about an item or picture from the museum, make a craft, and enjoy time socializing with other guests. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Lauren Kausner at lkausner@buffalohistory.org. 

Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 

Buffalo Society of Natural Science’s Memory Cafe will offer folks with memory loss and their loved ones to explore science and nature through the collections. During each Cafe, the facilitator will present unique collections items and ask participants to describe what they are experiencing or thinking to encourage communal discovery. The Cafe will also lead interactive science and nature activities for Cafe participants. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Melanie Jaskolka at mjaskolka@sciencebuff.org. 

Burchfield Penny Art Center – Conversation and Creativity at the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Memory Café 

If you love art and are looking for a safe and friendly space to experience the joy of creating, become a Friend of the Burchfield Penney Art Center’s Memory Café. Those with memory loss and their caregivers are invited to join us on the first Wednesday of each month from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. for conversation, an interactive tour, and a hands-on artmaking activity in our Museum Studio. Please register online at burchfieldpenney.org. We look forward to meeting you. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Kathy Shiroki at shirokkg@buffalostate.edu. 

Cradle Beach, Inc. 

Cradle Beach’s Memory Cafe, located on their lakefront property, offers a unique oasis in nature for caregivers and loved ones to enjoy throughout the year. Caregivers and their loved ones will be able to socialize, enjoy lunch, and participate in activities together that reflect the unique location and organization. In warmer months activities will take place outside, centering on lawn games, nature activities, picnics, and fun. When it gets colder, activities will include singalongs, movies, crafts, bingo, and more.   

For more information, visit their website here or contact Kat Gorecki at kgorecki@cradlebeach.org. 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Corporation 

Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House and Graycliff will cost a joint Memory Café with the mission to provide welcoming spaces for individuals affected by memory loss to gather, learn, and create community. The Memory Cafe will highlight both the distinctive architectural features of the Martin House and Graycliff and their historical significance. In addition to spending time inside of one of the houses, each Memory Cafe session will focus on a specific object or group of objects from the collection of each house museum. The sessions will end with refreshments and an activity around the session theme. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Gina Miano at gmiano@martinhouse.org. 

Hispanic Heritage Council of Western New York – Cafe de Sol

We at Café Del Sol like to focus on the strengths and abilities of our participants. We cater culturally specific programming to Spanish-speaking and bilingual members of the community who are experiencing memory  or cognitive challenges and their loved ones and friends.

Inspired by the power of music, our café presents musical performances and culturally sensitive activities that celebrate the rich, musical history of many Caribbean and Latin American countries. Café del Sol also provides simple, healthy food snacks from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and many others.

For more information, visit their website here or contact Casimiro Rodriguez at cdr3455@gmail.com. 

National Comedy Center 

The Memory Cafe program aims to foster relationship building and cultivate a sense of community by providing opportunities for connection through laughter. Memory Cafe participants can sign up for a scheduled visit supported by one of their tour guides. The Memory Cafe tour is designed to create community, and connections between people in the same population dealing with the same challenges. While certain exhibits are highly interactive, the National Comedy Center also provides theater seating and for relaxing and enjoying various media on the story of comedy history – very much suited to an aging population. One provides an historical look into late night comedy focused on Johnny Carson’s thirty years as the host of the Tonight Show. The National Comedy Center also offers Memory Cafe participants the ability to explore the museum at their own leisure.  

For more information, visit their website here or contact Rochelle Mole at rmole@comedycenter.org. 

Niagara Arts & Cultural Center – Meet Me at the Art Gallery (MMAG) 

The Niagara Arts & Cultural Center’s Memory Cafe concept centers on the shared experience of visiting a visual art gallery and creating art. Their goal is to engage those impacted by memory loss in meaningful experiences that promote communication among participants and MMAG partners. Here caretakers and those with memory loss are equal contributors. Meet Me at the Art Gallery Sessions last approximately one hour and includes live music, and an open art gallery with refreshments. Participants can experience, reflect and respond to works of art. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Kelly Lang at kelly@thenacc.org. 

Reg Lenna Center for the Arts  

Reg Lenna Center for the Art’s Memory Cafe will utilize their Media Arts Studio to present live performances and music to engage folks with changes in their memory along with their care partners. With access to a number of Chautauqua County musicians and performers, Memory Cafe participants will have unique opportunities to see live performances. The Reg Media Arts Studio has video projection capabilities where the Cafe will play movies or clips of movies that may resonate with the attendees. The Memory Cafe events at The Reg will be held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. 

For more information, visit their website here or contact Hillary Meyer at hmeyer@reglenna.com.