Community-Fueled Comeback
“When I drop my father off at Peachtree Christian Health, I’m leaving him with family.”
This is how one of many caregivers who rely on Peachtree Christian Health (PCH) feel about its services. The adult day health center in Duluth cares for over 45 older adults during the work week offering caregivers the chance to go grocery shopping, take care of their own health and reclaim their independence. Lovingly referred to as “friends,” PCH’s clients live with a cognitive condition, often dementia, and/or physical impairments.
“By 2040, there will be about 80.8 million older persons in the US, more than twice as many as in 2000!,” said Anne Mancini, president of PCH. “Every day, I witness the enormous positive impact our center makes on families who want to remain together in their homes and avoid long-term care, familial separation and the exorbitant drain on financial resources.”
As one of the few daytime brain health centers for older adults in Georgia, PCH is vital to helping the growing number of older adults living with limited resources. The center offers socialization and enrichment activities, therapeutic programs and person-centered clinical care.
But PCH was not always the thriving organization it is today. Following COVID-19 and many attempts to re-establish itself, PCH decided to officially close in December of 2022.
That is, until the caregivers got involved.
“In a group meeting, they [the caregivers] said to me, ‘No, you can’t close. You’re the only ones that do this,’ — caring for their loved ones and giving them the respite they needed,” said Anne.
“It was honestly a God thing, and off the top of my head, I said to them, ‘Alright, for us to stay open we have to raise $500,000 by Thanksgiving and increase the number of days participants come by 50.”
A few weeks later, they had raised over $600,000!
Over 550 donors from across 23 states had supported them, all because PCH connected people who care with their cause that matters.
“We take the Community Foundation’s mission very seriously, and we feel that this is actually the umbrella mission for all nonprofits. It really inspired our organization, and I’m sure it inspires others,” said Anne.
PCH’s story of resilience did not stop there.
“On Christmas Eve of 2022, we received a call from our security system monitoring company. Multiple pipes had burst, and our building was flooding. We were up to our knees in water when we got there. The ceiling had collapsed. All 25,000 square feet were completely filled with water,” said Anne.
There was over $1.5 million in damages, but within days, the organization was back up and running out of a temporary space. After much prayer, the executive committee decided to sell their original building and move locations which gave them a new sense of financial stability.
“We had some additional funds from the sale, and that’s when we officially became fundholders with the Community Foundation. DePriest told us about the funds that were available and their performance. It really was a no-brainer for us,” said Anne. “What we’ve seen on our return in just a short time has really been tremendous.
“Even if you’re not able to be a fundholder, the Community Foundation still has a lot to offer. From their educational events to their grant cycles and annual celebrations, the Community Foundation has always been very generous with us.
“They have been an extension of our nonprofit organization and have been our cheerleaders along the way. They help us move forward with our mission.”
The Community Foundation is more than an agency fund for PCH; it is a part of their team.
“Everyone either knows a caregiver or is a caregiver. It might be for an older adult, someone younger and on the spectrum or a multitude of other conditions. The best way to support them is to connect them to resources, to people who care — and the Community Foundation is a great place to start, said Anne, “As a nonprofit leader, I am so appreciative of the tremendous work the Community Foundation does each and every day.”