Organized by Songs & Smiles
A Magazine for People Living With Dementia
Hi. My name's Eric. My wife, Sheryl, and I lost Sheryl's mom, Trish, to Alzheimer's in 2019. We know how hard it can be to connect with a loved one who has Alzheimer's, so we set up Songs & Smiles as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to help keep families connected during the journey.
My mother-in-law and I shared a special connection with magazines. I worked for a magazine for more than 20 years, and Trish always looked forward to seeing our latest issue. When I would sit with her in the waiting room at the doctor's office, we enjoyed flipping through the pages of whatever magazines were at hand.
After we had to move Trish to a memory care facility, we continued to subscribe to her favorite monthly magazine, and I had the joy of delivering it to her at the start of every month. Her eyes lit up when she saw each new issue.
For people living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, magazines are familiar and comfortable. Print affirms human connection as it conveys permanence, credibility, and authenticity. As part of our current programming, I regularly visit memory care facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to lead singalongs , helping residents connect with music and memories. I often see residents with magazines … sometimes reading them, sometimes looking at pictures, sometimes just holding them.
With your support, we will produce a printed magazine designed for families to share with loved ones living with dementia. Content will be timeless and intergenerational, featuring original and curated pictures, stories, poems, and jokes. Each 24-page issue will focus on a specific topic. Some of my talented contacts in the publishing industry are assisting with this project. We have already developed editorial outlines, design principles, and a list of issue topics, and we are ready to start designing and printing prototypes. We need to raise at least $6,000 for initial editorial and design expenses plus production of a small number of copies. We want to raise $25,000, so we can print and distribute 2,500 copies of our first four issues. Raising more than that will allow us to increase the quantity of our initial distribution and continue to provide magazines to families at no charge to them.
This magazine will provide a comfortable and familiar experience, helping people living with dementia connect with memories and emotions. Please donate today and help turn this vision into a reality.
My mother-in-law and I shared a special connection with magazines. I worked for a magazine for more than 20 years, and Trish always looked forward to seeing our latest issue. When I would sit with her in the waiting room at the doctor's office, we enjoyed flipping through the pages of whatever magazines were at hand.
After we had to move Trish to a memory care facility, we continued to subscribe to her favorite monthly magazine, and I had the joy of delivering it to her at the start of every month. Her eyes lit up when she saw each new issue.
For people living with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia, magazines are familiar and comfortable. Print affirms human connection as it conveys permanence, credibility, and authenticity. As part of our current programming, I regularly visit memory care facilities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to lead singalongs , helping residents connect with music and memories. I often see residents with magazines … sometimes reading them, sometimes looking at pictures, sometimes just holding them.
With your support, we will produce a printed magazine designed for families to share with loved ones living with dementia. Content will be timeless and intergenerational, featuring original and curated pictures, stories, poems, and jokes. Each 24-page issue will focus on a specific topic. Some of my talented contacts in the publishing industry are assisting with this project. We have already developed editorial outlines, design principles, and a list of issue topics, and we are ready to start designing and printing prototypes. We need to raise at least $6,000 for initial editorial and design expenses plus production of a small number of copies. We want to raise $25,000, so we can print and distribute 2,500 copies of our first four issues. Raising more than that will allow us to increase the quantity of our initial distribution and continue to provide magazines to families at no charge to them.
This magazine will provide a comfortable and familiar experience, helping people living with dementia connect with memories and emotions. Please donate today and help turn this vision into a reality.
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