Join GEM (Gentle Expert Memory Care) at the Harmony Café at the Baum Center usually on the second Friday of each month, but please check the monthly calendar to confirm.  Additional meeting dates and locations vary across the county. Please call Gail Sonnesso at the number listed below for more information.

GEM’s Harmony Café and the Dare County Arts Council will connect local teaching artists and the GEM family to create art in various mediums such as stained glass, wood, clay and paint. Harmony Café is a place where any senior that would benefit from memory care may practice that skill in a safe, supportive and engaging environment. There is no charge to attend Harmony Café, but please register with Gail Sonnesso by emailing gsonnesso@gmail.com or calling 252-480-3354. This is not a drop-off program, and each participant should be accompanied by a family member or a community friend.

Harmony Café is open to all caregivers of people living with dementia. The primary focus is on couples because they may lack a strong support system (Especially in Dare County because it is a retirement destination many couples that move here are isolated from the rest of their family).  This puts them at high risk for isolation, which is only heightened when one of them ages into dementia. Providing a community friend/mentor who is willing to provide transportation and a personal invitation to Harmony Café will address this problem. The role of the community friend will also meet the needs of a person who might be at highest risk because they are living independently with no family helping to connect them with existing community support.