Social Saturdays help caregivers, family members at local churches: What to know

Rose Marie Leniek got a chance to have fun and meet new friends while her husband, Chuck, got a break from taking care of her on a recent Saturday morning at St. Anthony’s Church in Endicott.

“It gives me the chance to relax a little bit – get a little housework done and shopping,” Chuck Leniek said.

Chuck Leniek is the primary caretaker for his wife of 54 years who is facing several health issues. The couple got help from Social Saturdays at St. Anthony’s Church, a respite program for caregivers of family members with dementia or other health problems.

The program at St. Anthony’s Church is one of three, faith-based Saturday respite programs for Broome County caregivers.

St. Anthony’s hosts the program during the first Saturday of the month followed by Grace Lutheran Church in Vestal on the second Saturday and St. Mary’s in Kirkwood on the third Saturday.

The Broome County Office for the Aging is looking for a fourth church or other faith-based organization to host a program on the fourth Saturday, said Shellie Spinelli, who runs the Yesteryears respite program for the office.

The department turned to the churches for help because churches tend to have space available in their basements or church halls and caregivers are more apt to use a faith-based respite program, Spinelli said.

“A lot of times caregivers are reluctant to go out of the house and join programs,” she said. “But they will go to an event that is being hosted at their church.”

Churches have been eager to step up and support caregivers and their loved ones, Spinelli said.

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“The churches are supporting their parishioners,” she said. “It’s a good ministry.”

Those attending don’t have to be members of the church that hosts the program but they do need to register in advance, Spinelli said.

At St. Anthony’s, Gina Kane and Suzanne Reardon coordinate the program.

“This gives them a chance to have some time on a Saturday to do things” such as go out to lunch or go out to shopping while their loved one attends the program, Kane said.

Caregivers get a chance to sip some coffee and chat with volunteers and other caregivers when they drop their loved one off for the program, Kane said.

“They need people to talk to,” she said of caregivers.

Leniek said the program benefits both the caregiver and the loved one they take care of.

“It gives them a chance to do some socializing out of the house,” he said of loved ones such as his wife. “It gives the caregivers a little bit of a respite.”

On a recent Saturday, those attending got to play games using pool noodles, bake cookies and play cards as volunteers made sure everyone had a good time.

“I love these people,” Reardon said. “They’re getting to know us.”

More people are coming to the program each month. Reardon said she welcomes everyone who comes.

“I want to grow this program,” she said.

Reardon and other volunteers put a lot of work into the program but they are happy to do it, she said.

“These are the people who supported the church for all these years,” she said. “We owe it to them.”

If you go

Caregivers can register for free respite programs hosted on Saturdays by local churches. All programs are open to any Broome County residents but those attending must call to register.

Here are the details:

First Saturday of the Month: 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at St. Anthony’s Church, 300 Odell Ave., Endicott. To register, call (607) 754-4333.

Second Saturday of the Month: 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church, 709 Main St., Vestal. To register, call (607) 748-0840.

Third Saturday of the Month: 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at St. Mary’s of Kirkwood, 975 Route 11, Kirkwood. To register, call (607) 775-0086.

If you want to start a program: The Broome County Office for Aging is looking for a church or other faith community to host a respite program on the fourth Saturday of the month. Contact Shellie Spinelli at the Broome County Office for Aging at (607) 778-2946.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Broome churches host Social Saturdays for adults and their caregivers