RFA News and Updates

A Wonderful Whirlwind of Education and Inspiration

Directors and volunteers from around the country were able to join us in March for Whirlwind 2026. Our annual respite leadership conference was hosted this year by Anchor Community Respite at Asbury United Methodist Church in Birmingham, AL, and our sold-out crowd drew attendees from 43 Respite for All communities in 15 states. We’re already making plans for next year, when we’ll get together at Asbury again April 11-13, 2027. Take a look at this highlight reel for a true picture of the joy we shared.

John and Joyce Caddell Emerging Leader Award

One of the sweetest moments during the Whirlwind conference was when we recognized Rob Ashworth, a senior at Montgomery Academy, by awarding him the John and Joyce Caddell Emerging Leader Award. Rob (pictured with board member Cathy Caddell) stepped up on his own to conduct a unique fundraiser as a kicker for his high school football team. He had volunteered at the local respite ministry at FUMC Montgomery, where he had seen the impact it had on his grandmother’s experiences living with Alzheimer’s, and he wanted to do what he could to raise funds to help spread this model. Please take a few moments to watch the video of his award.

Dr. Marc Milstein to Headline Brain Science Luncheon

Internationally recognized neuroscientist, researcher and speaker Marc Milstein will be joining us on Thursday, October 15 for the 5th Annual Brain Science Luncheon, and we’d love to have you join us as a sponsor. Dr. Milstein will be sharing his new talk explaining simple steps you can do every day to supercharge your memory. He is a mesmerizing and engaging presenter, and we can’t wait to hear him at the Montgomery Renaissance, 11:30am-1pm. Click here to learn how you can join us as a sponsor or table host.

Respite Launches So Far This Year

The Respite for All network of communities has expanded to 72 nationwide, with the launches this year of:

In Good Company at Real Life Ministries in Post Falls, ID
R Wave Respite at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Durham, NC
Together We Care at Canaan Baptist Church in New Castle, DE
The Rest Stop at Sedge Garden United Methodist Church in Kernersville, NC
Adventure at Jefferson at Jefferson Presbyterian Church, Jefferson, LA
Our Place Respite at St. James Episocopal Church in Alexander City, AL
Joyful Connections at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brandon, MS

We’re thankful to these local vision teams and new directors for helping expand this model to 19 states to date and a dozen denominations/faith groups.

A Change in the Respite for All Team

Rev. June Jernigan, a retired member of the UMC clergy, joined the Respite for All team as resource director in January 2024, and she has developed an incredible onboarding process to help local vision teams and new respite directors become successful in the launch of their respite communities. June is retiring for the second time at the end of April, and we will miss her greatly. However, we are very fortunate that Mary Cohen will be taking on the resource director role in mid-May.

Mary (pictured with Daphne) led the planning, launch, and daily operations of Anchor Place Respite in metro Atlanta, gaining first-hand insight into building and sustaining a meaningful, joy-filled respite ministry. She also brings to her role extensive experience in healthcare program development and management, nonprofit operations, volunteer engagement, and dementia education and support. She holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Mission Leadership from Loyola University Chicago, a Master of Public Health Policy & Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from The George Washington University.

The mission of the Respite for All Foundation is to inspire, grow, and mentor Volunteer Respite Ministries for communities seeking to minister to persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia disorders through education and shared best practices. Visit RespiteforAll.org to learn more.

P.O. Box 6178

Montgomery, AL 36106

Connect with Us