My name is Sam and I'm raising funds for Mind Over Splatter, a program of my own creation rooted in a lifetime of experience caring for people with cognitive challenges. I grew up in healthcare facilities where my mother ran the dietary department, and from a young age, I spent my afternoons volunteering alongside her. By 16, I was working as a caregiver, and at 17, I earned my CNA. For the next eight years, I worked in Assisted Living Facilities, primarily in memory care units. That work shaped me. I became deeply invested in the well-being of the residents I supported.

Over time, though, I became discouraged by the limitations and politics of the healthcare system, as well as the emotional toll of watching people I cared for decline. I stepped away from the industry, unsure of how to continue doing meaningful work without burning out.

Life took some difficult turns after that, including legal trouble that led to prison and work release. Those experiences taught me a lot about resilience, accountability, and rebuilding. Eight years later, I’ve come to understand that the only way forward is to create something of my own — something grounded in what I know, what I care about, and what I can offer my community.

Art has always been a part of my life, and so has advocating for people with cognitive challenges. Over the past five years, I’ve been living with my mother again. She has very mild dementia and is retired now. She doesn’t need much help, but she has become more reclusive — and I’ve noticed the same in myself. Mind Over Splatter is, in part, a response to that. It’s a way to reconnect, to create community, and to build something meaningful out of lived experience.

My goal is to lead this program alongside my mother and involve other family members who are artists as well. Mind Over Splatter is more than an arts program — it’s a family effort, a community space, and a way to bring creativity, connection, and dignity to people navigating cognitive changes and the caregivers who support them.