A memory loss diagnosis can quietly change everything—not just for the person receiving it, but for the family members and caregivers walking alongside them. Too often, those changes come with isolation, uncertainty, and the feeling that the world has grown smaller. Memory Café of the Red River Valley exists to gently push back against that reality.
Memory Café creates welcoming spaces where individuals living with memory loss and the people who care for them can show up just as they are. Here, dignity is protected, joy is encouraged, and connection is the focus—no explanations required. Through intentionally social gatherings, education, and community-centered programs, Memory Café reminds families that meaningful moments, laughter, and belonging are still very much possible.
In this conversation, we sit down with the organization’s Executive Director, Maggie Ness, to explore the experiences that led to Memory Café’s founding, how its mission has grown, and why supporting both individuals with memory loss and their caregivers is more critical than ever. It’s a story about redefining what dementia support can look like—and about creating spaces where people feel seen, understood, and never alone.
What experiences led to the founding of Memory Café of the Red River Valley?
Memory Café of the Red River Valley was born out of lived experience. Our founders witnessed firsthand how isolating a dementia diagnosis can feel for individuals and for the people who love them. They saw a gap between clinical care and everyday life, and a need for spaces where people could still show up as themselves, connect with others, and feel a sense of belonging. Memory Café began as a response to that gap; a place rooted in compassion, understanding, and human connection.
How has the organization’s mission evolved since its early days?
While our core mission has remained the same, supporting individuals impacted by memory loss through connection, education, and joy, the scope of our work has grown significantly. What started as large group gatherings has evolved into a robust network of programs that serve individuals at different stages of memory loss, as well as caregivers and families. We’ve expanded our educational offerings, built stronger community partnerships, and deepened our commitment to creating inclusive, dementia-friendly spaces that truly meet people wherever they are on their journey
Memory Café often emphasizes dignity and joy—why are those values so central to your work?
A diagnosis of dementia can so easily overshadow everything else about a person. We believe dignity and joy are essential because they remind people that they are more than a diagnosis. Joy fosters connection, confidence, and a sense of purpose, while dignity ensures that individuals feel seen, respected, and valued at every stage of their journey. These values guide everything we do, from the language we use to the way our programs are designed.
What misconceptions about memory loss or dementia does the Memory Café want to challenge?
One of the biggest misconceptions is that a dementia diagnosis means life, joy, and meaningful connection are over. We work every day to challenge that narrative. People living with memory loss can still learn, laugh, contribute, and build relationships.
One of the most common and most harmful assumptions is that caregivers somehow arrive equipped with the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to support someone living with dementia. In reality, most caregivers are learning in real time, often with no formal training, limited guidance, and little opportunity to pause and catch their breath.
Dementia is not a static condition. Symptoms change, abilities fluctuate, and what worked yesterday may not work today. Caregivers are constantly adapting, figuring out how to communicate when words fade, how to respond when behaviors shift, and how to make decisions that balance safety, dignity, and quality of life. This ongoing problem-solving can be exhausting and emotionally taxing.
The expectation that caregivers “should know” can also prevent them from asking for help. Many feel pressure to appear capable and composed, even when they are overwhelmed or uncertain. Questions like “Am I doing this right?” or “Could I have handled that better?” are incredibly common, yet rarely voiced out loud.
What caregivers truly need is not judgment or assumptions, but access to education, reassurance, and community spaces, like Memory Cafe, where they can ask questions, share experiences, and learn alongside others walking a similar path. Caregiving is not about having all the answers; it’s about showing up with compassion, curiosity, and support, especially when the path forward isn’t clear.
What does your role as Executive Director look like on a day-to-day basis?
No two days look exactly the same, and that’s part of what I love. One moment I might be meeting with community partners or juggling the behind-the-scenes details that keep things running, and the next I’m welcoming participants, swapping stories, or checking in with caregivers, staff, and volunteers. It’s a role that blends strategy with heart, and that mix of big-picture thinking and meaningful, everyday connection is what makes this work so special to me.
How do you balance strategic leadership with being present for participants and caregivers?
Staying present with participants and caregivers grounds our strategy in real experience. My background in social work has shaped how I lead; it taught me that listening, relationship-building, and being fully present are not extras, but essentials. Those relationships inform every decision we make. I see presence not as separate from leadership, but as central to it. Being in the room, listening, observing, and connecting ensures that our growth remains rooted in the needs and voices of the people we serve.
What leadership skills have been most essential in growing Memory Café?
Adaptability, empathy, and collaboration have been critical, along with innovative and strategic thinking as we lead the way in this work within our region. The needs of our community are constantly evolving, and effective leadership requires listening deeply and responding thoughtfully while also anticipating what’s next. Building strong relationships with staff, volunteers, donors, and community partners has been essential to sustainable growth and to advancing new, forward-thinking approaches to dementia support.
“Caregiving is not about having all the answers; it’s about showing up with compassion, curiosity, and support, especially when the path forward isn’t clear.”
What has surprised you most about leading this organization?
What has surprised me most is just how quickly both the need and the community around it have grown. With each new program we introduce, we welcome new individuals and families who are looking for connection, understanding, and support, and each time, it’s a powerful reminder of how many people are navigating memory loss feeling alone. As our programs continue to grow, so does the generosity of our community. Donors, volunteers, and partners step forward with open hearts, making it possible to meet this growing need. Most of all, I’m inspired by the resilience of the individuals and caregivers we serve. Their courage, vulnerability, and willingness to keep showing up for one another are what make this work so deeply meaningful.
What makes a Memory Café gathering different from traditional support groups or clinical programs?
Memory Café of the Red River Valley’s gatherings are intentionally social, welcoming, and joyful. Rather than focusing on what’s been lost, we focus on what remains. There’s no pressure to share personal stories unless someone wants to. Participants come to connect, engage in activities, and simply enjoy being together in a space where they feel understood.
How do you design activities that are engaging for people with varying levels of memory loss?
We design activities that are flexible, sensory-rich, and success-oriented. Our goal is to meet people where they are and allow for multiple ways to participate. Activities emphasize creativity, movement, music, and conversation, things that tap into strengths rather than limitations.
Why is caregiver support such a critical part of your mission?
Caregivers are often the unsung heroes in the dementia journey. They carry emotional, physical, and logistical responsibilities that can be overwhelming. Supporting caregivers helps sustain the entire care system and ensures they don’t feel alone or invisible in the process.
How do caregiver needs differ from what people often expect?
Many assume caregivers primarily need information, but often what they need most is connection, understanding, and permission to take a breath. Emotional support, peer connection, and respite are just as critical as education.
What feedback do you hear most often from caregivers?
We often hear caregivers say, “This is the first place where we feel understood,” or “We don’t have to explain ourselves here.” One caregiver shared, “I don’t know what I would do without Memory Café,” a sentiment we hear time and time again. Caregivers frequently describe Memory Café as a lifeline, a place where they can exhale, connect with others who truly understand their journey, and feel less alone
Are there populations you’re hoping to reach more intentionally in the future?
Yes. We’re especially focused on reaching individuals in the early stages of memory loss, younger caregivers, and underserved communities who may face barriers to access. We are also deeply committed to expanding respite opportunities for caregivers; creating spaces and programs that allow them time to rest, recharge, and feel supported. Expanding inclusivity, accessibility, and meaningful respite remains a priority as we continue to grow.
Memory Café has grown significantly—what have been the biggest growing pains?
Growth brings incredible opportunity, but also challenges. Ensuring we maintain our personal, relational approach while expanding programs and infrastructure has been one of the biggest balancing acts. We’re intentional about growing in ways that strengthen, not dilute, our mission.
What challenges do nonprofits serving memory loss face?
Nonprofits serving individuals impacted by memory loss often operate in the space between growing need and limited resources. Funding sustainability, volunteer capacity, and public awareness remain ongoing challenges, even as the number of families affected by dementia continues to rise. Dementia care is still widely under-resourced, and too often the emotional toll on individuals and caregivers goes unseen. This reality makes advocacy and community education essential no only to secure support but to shift understanding, reduce stigma, and remind our communities that people living with memory loss deserve connection, dignity, and joy throughout every stage of their journey
How do donors and community partners typically connect to your mission?
Many donors and partners have a personal connection to memory loss through a family member, friend, or colleague. Others are drawn to the mission because they see the tangible impact of creating spaces rooted in dignity, joy, and belonging.
Donors often connect to Memory Café because the impact is immediate and deeply human. A gift helps turn fear into understanding, isolation into belonging, and uncertainty into moments of joy and confidence
At its heart, Memory Café is about making moments matter, and donor support ensures those moments continue to exist for individuals and families who need them most.
What role do volunteers play in delivering programs?
Volunteers are the heart of Memory Café. They help create welcoming environments, build relationships with participants, and bring warmth and consistency to our programs. Their presence reinforces the sense of community that defines Memory Café.
How can businesses or organizations get involved beyond financial support?
Businesses can partner with us by volunteering, sponsoring programs, hosting educational events, or helping create dementia-friendly environments within their own organizations. Advocacy and awareness are powerful forms of support.
Where do you see Memory Café in five years?
In five years, I envision Memory Café supporting more individuals in our community by coming out of isolation. I also envision Memory Cafe of the Red River Valley as a regional and potentially even a nationwide leader in dementiafriendly community building, serving more individuals, offering expanded respite and education opportunities, and continuing to innovate while staying deeply connected to our roots.
What unmet needs do you still hope to address?
We hope to expand respite options for caregivers, reach individuals earlier in their diagnosis, and continue reducing isolation for families navigating memory loss. There is still so much opportunity to walk alongside people in meaningful, supportive ways, and that work continues to drive us forward.
Memory Cafe
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