When Armand DeKeyser responded to our Scenic 98 Coastal Reader Survey and was chosen to receive a Scenic 98 coastal hat, I spoke to him on the phone. I learned, among other things, that he is the Board Chair for a nonprofit program called Shepherd’s Place. I then googled Shepherd’s Place to see what it is all about. It is a program that offers caregivers of cognitive-challenged family members a break from around-the-clock caregiving.

Based in Auburn, the Respite for All Foundation is the nationwide model that offers caregivers, primarily spouses, a “respite” for four hours a couple of times a week so that they can take a break, run errands, and get away from caregiving responsibilities. Not all such programs fall under the Respite for All umbrella, as each program operates independently.

I have a close friend in Birmingham who volunteers twice a week for Encore Community Respite, a similar program to Shepherd’s Place. Generally, volunteers commit their time to interact with “participants,” offering some sense of normalcy for a few hours a week. My friend and I have had many discussions about his involvement with Encore, so I was somewhat familiar.

After a mutual friend passed away, I learned that he had been a participant in Encore, and my volunteer friend had spent many hours interacting with him. The program is designed to protect the participant's identity and to engage in a variety of social activities that seem somewhat normal to them.

The name Encore didn’t immediately resonate with me, explaining the true purpose of the mission.. I reached back out to Armand to see if we could meet to do a story. Through Armand, I learned that “respite” is to give caregivers of loved ones a break from caring for family members suffering from cognitive issues like dementia or Alzheimer's. Shepherd’s Place is not church-affiliated, but operates in the Fairhope United Methodist Church.  Most of these respite programs utilize church facilities.

In Alabama, the first such program began in Montgomery. The Encore program in Birmingham opened soon after and operates at Canterbury Methodist Church. In general, the churches are not responsible for the programs themselves; they are just well-suited to have the programs housed in their facilities.

Armand tells me volunteers spend four hours each session playing simple card games, doing arts and crafts, enjoying music, doing chair yoga and light exercise, and mainly providing some measure of normalcy for the participants. “It’s a great thing for people with cognitive issues. Most are well functioning but need around-the-clock care.”

He tells me Shepherd’s Place pays all the expenses necessary to manage the program and does not request funding from the church. Not all respite-like programs operate exclusively through churches, but they are perfect vehicles since the programs operate during the weekdays, while most churches have kitchens, rooms, and tables with which to meet. 

There are around 80 Respite for All-type programs throughout the country, but Shepherd’s Place is the only one in Mobile or Baldwin County. They host one Shepherd’s Place Golf Tournament each year that raises $25,000 to $30,000, and donations are always appreciated. The 11-member board that oversees the program is staffed by volunteers from throughout  Baldwin County.  Armand is currently chairman.

Sessions begin at 9 am and conclude at 1 pm, pm, pm four days a week (Monday-Thursday) a week. Each session costs $50 per day, or $12.50 per hour. A noon meal is provided, and the funds cover the cost of purchasing food and preparation of nutritious and appropriate meals. There is a Director who oversees the day-to-day program activities, and they recently added a Food Service Manager. “Before COVID, the Director and Board worked with the local restaurant community to provide meals once a month, or even once a week. That became problematic, and we hired a Food Service Manager,” he says.

“Shepherd’s Place has room to grow. We try to have one volunteer for every two or three participants. Most caregivers of people with cognitive issues are the adult children of the participants, and often during the summer, they are traveling on vacation, so the schedule is more fluid,” says Armand. “Daily, we average 4 to 6 volunteers and 8 to 15 participants.” 

Since they are the only facility in Southwest Alabama, people come from as far away as Mobile, Satsuma, and Foley. “We don’t offer medical advice or administer any medicine. We are not medical caregivers or providers in that sense. Cognitive diseases are difficult. We have to be careful. Until you are faced with it, it is hard to comprehend the challenges.”

“We provide four hours for the primary caregivers to do other things. Ideally, we would like to grow our volunteer network to offer one volunteer for every two participants.” We have room to take on more participants.”

Armand, who grew up in Mobile, earned his degree in Spanish with a minor in Business Administration from Auburn University. Beginning in 1997, he spent 15 years in Washington, DC, and was Chief of Staff for Jeff Sessions, a close friend. After serving in the Senate, he did government relations for a number of clients.  Describing his post-Senate career, his varied legislative work represented, among others, “the Three Ps”: Poarch Creek Indians, Pizza Hut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

Armand left Washington in 2012 for Birmingham and is married to Torrey Van Antwerp, also from Mobile. He served until 2020 as the Executive Director for the Alabama Humanities Alliance,  which promotes civic engagement, lifelong learning, and impactful storytelling to help Alabamians better understand each other. They serve the social services side of the education equation in Alabama,” Armand tells me. “Alabama Humanities Alliance funds grants for schools, museums, teachers, architecture, literature, and history.”

Now retired and living in Fairhope, Armand is an avid golfer. Born and raised in Mobile, the family had a home on Dauphin Island. In 1900, his great-grandfather, Sebastian Gonzalez, founded and operated Star Fish and Oyster Company.

He told me he was actually in the White House when the 9/11 attacks occurred. “We volunteered our communication services to the overwhelmed New York delegation to help get correspondence written and answered.  It was all hands on deck, and it didn’t matter what political party you were affiliated with. Washington was a much more cohesive place at the time. People worked together. It wasn’t as divided.”

I would offer that Armand and Torrey are continuing that effort in the Scenic 98 Coastal communities. Please reach out to Shepherd’s Place if you would like to consider a donation, volunteering, or if you have a family member in need of a little respite.

Thanks, Armand!