SILVER CREEK — Catholic Charities of Buffalo has partnered with Christ Chapel Wesleyan Church in Silver Creek to offer a free, monthly respite program for people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias beginning Saturday, Oct. 19.

The respite program will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the third Saturday of each month at Christ Chapel Wesleyan Church, 60 Buffalo St., Silver Creek. Trained volunteers will provide fun, purposeful, supervised activities for your loved one.

This free community service is made possible through a grant from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation and fulfills its mission of relieving caregiver burden and stress, and improving the lives of caregivers and the lives of their loved ones.

“There is a growing need for caregiver support in our communities,” said Joyelle Tedeschi, Director of Family and Community Services at Catholic Charities of Buffalo. “And our vision is to create supportive, dementia-friendly communities that reduce burden and prevent burnout, through a strong partnership of professional service providers and community volunteers.”

Christ Chapel Wesleyan Church’s respite program is free of charge and open to the community. Registration is required. For more information or to register your loved one for the program, please contact Beth Bayba at 716-934-3725 or via email at beth.bayba@gmail.com.

The Chautauqua County respite program joins similar programs funded through the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation in Erie, Niagara and Genesee counties. Orchard Park Presbyterian Church hosts Open Door @ OPPC from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the church, 4369 S. Buffalo St., Orchard Park; Immaculate Conception Church hosts its respite program from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at the church, 4671 Townline Road, Ransomville; and the Hope Center of LeRoy hosts a respite program from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month at the center, 42 Main St., LeRoy. To register for the Orchard Park program, contact Sherry Pomeroy at (716) 662-9348, ext. 309 or at sherry@oppchurch.org; to register for the Ransomville program, contact Laurie Muth at (716) 731-4822 ext. 103 or lmuth@icransomville.org; to register for the LeRoy program, email Melinda Stedman at mstedman.hopecenter@gmail.com.