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City’s second Let’s Sing From Memory support group for dementia patients begins

Volunteer Faye Jordan, center, sings along during the Let's Sing From Memory event at Northside Presbyterian Church. Volunteer Faye Jordan, center, sings along during the Let's Sing From Memory event at Northside Presbyterian Church.

By Yolanda Putman July 27, 2018 5 min read

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City’s second Let’s Sing From Memory support group begins

Peggy Rhodes plays the piano during the Let's Sing From Memory event.

Jim Reagan sings during the Let's Sing From Memory event.

Jim Hooper leads the group gathered for the Let's Sing From Memory event in

Let's Sing From Memory is the second such support group now meeting in Chattanooga. Founder Wayne Evans maintains a website at http://letsssingfrommemory.org.

Betty Headrick claps after a song during the Let's Sing From Memory event at Northside Presbyterian Church.

Dawn Edens plays with bubble wrap during the Let's Sing From Memory event at Northside Presbyterian Church. Bubble wrap was passed out to those in attendance for a little bit of fun and as a way to soothe arthritic fingers.

More volunteers than people with Alzheimer’s disease showed up for the first support group meeting at Northside Presbyterian Church earlier this month, but organizer Dawn Edens said she’s not discouraged.

She’s already planned future meetings and she’s talking with church members about ways they can get more people with dementia and their caregivers to attend. The ministry is called Let’s Sing From Memory.

If you go

Let’s Sing From Memory support groups for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers meet in two locations in Chattanooga. Founder Wayne Evans’ email is w_evans3@comcast.net. The website is http://letssingfrommemory.org.› The original, at Christ United Methodist Church, 8645 East Brainerd Road, meets at 10 a.m. second and fourth Tuesdays of each month. Call 423-240-6887 for more information.› The latest, at Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave., will meet 1-2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21, and then first and third Tuesdays starting in September. Call 423-266-1766 for more information.

‘The hardest part is definitely getting the word out to the community that we’re here,” said Edens. “It’s really meant for home-bound members and their caregivers to come and just have an hour and a half respite.”

The next meeting is scheduled at the church from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 21. Starting in September, the group expects to meet every two weeks, on first and third Tuesdays, at 1 p.m.