|
Alice Moorhead
P ersonal involvement with an organization she believes in is as important to Alice
Moorhead as supporting it fi nancially. So, when her mother died of Alzheimer’s disease
in 1994, she became wholeheartedly involved with the Alzheimer’s Association, NYC
Chapter, donating both time and money to support its mission. An MBA in Finance,
with a career in publishing and banking behind her, she began volunteering on the
Chapter’s 24-hour Helpline. There she came to understand the tremendous need of
caregivers for support, which gave her the impetus to pursue a degree in Social Work at
New York University so she could be of greater assistance.
Ms. Moorhead later began leading support groups, an extension of her belief that
while researchers seek a cure for Alzheimer’s disease there is a need for “support services
here and now.” She is so committed to the support services of the Chapter that she often
makes a special trip from Wyoming, where she and her husband have a home, to lead the
daughters’ support group she has been part of for the past 10 years. She feels fortunate to have
been a “witness to the love they have for their mothers,” and has “seen them grow tremendously”
in dealing with the challenges of caregiving.
Ms. Moorhead serves on the boards of Search and Care, a not-for-profi t organization on the
Upper East Side of Manhattan, whose mission is to help frail and isolated older people live safely
and independently in their own homes, and La Communidad Hispana, which provides services
to the Latino community and other underserved groups in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.
Jack Kamin
Married for 25 years, father of four daughters, Jack Kamin is still close to his father. That
bond has enabled him to be a strong source of support for his father, who has struggled with
the devastating eff ects of Alzheimer’s disease for over eight years. Now in the mid-to-late stage
of the disease and in a nursing home, his father no longer recognizes him, but Jack visits him
regularly. Jack looks like his father, who was tall and athletic, and people say he has some of the
same gestures. It overwhelms him sometimes, he says, when he hears references to a genetic
factor for the disease.
He finds a support group lead by Lorraine Ruggieri helpful in dealing with his pain and his
fears. “There are days when it’s painful and you need guidance,” he freely admits. “It’s important
for people to share.”
Because of his belief in the importance of kindness to others, Jack is involved with several
charitable organizations and has just begun tutoring elementary-school students whose parents
are in temporary shelters seeking permanent housing through the coalition for the homeless.
He believes strongly in giving back, in a “you give what you get” philosophy, and he has
put that belief into practice with a generous gift to the Chapter as a thank you for the support
he has received.
 Previous | Next 
|
