If Only We'd Had CJFS for Bessie

by Clay Ratcliffe 

My grandmother Bessie was my favorite person in the world. I spent weeks with her at a time during the summers, her phone number was the first number I ever memorized and I used to sneak out of bed as a child to call her late at night. Her personality was larger than life, her humor unmatched. She was my best friend.

When she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s shortly after I finished college, my family was devastated. We had trouble navigating the disease and finding resources to provide the best care and enrichment for her. It was truly like navigating in a fog, and I wish we’d had access to an organization like CJFS to help us through that time.

While helping families like mine navigate the journey of aging is one important role of CJFS, we are so much more than that. CJFS offers professional counseling, in- home personal care, comprehensive care management, the CARES respite program, transportation and amazing outreach programs such as Senior Grocery Initiative. We truly are an agency that serves the entire family, and I am so proud to be on board as the Fund Development & Outreach Director to help further the mission of CJFS in our community.

I miss my grandmother terribly, but I know that she would be proud that I am part of an organization that supports families and enriches lives each and every day. CJFS is truly a family agency and I look forward to serving alongside this wonderful team!

CJFS can coordinate and manage health care, as well as providing transportation, resource referral, counseling, respite care and more. 
For more information, please contact Clinical Director Marcy Morgenbesser, [email protected] or 205.879.3438.