OUR COMMUNITY

22 | JUNE 24 • 2021 

W

hen a small 
group of older 
adults walked 
through the doors of the 
Dorothy and Peter Brown 
Jewish Community Adult Day 
Program in early June, their 
first time back in 15 months, 
they were greeted by welcome-
back banners, bouquets of 
paper flowers, hand-decorated 
cards, posters and, of course, 
plenty of big smiles. 
The artwork was created 
by students at West Maple 
Elementary School in 
Bloomfield Township, 
which has had a long-term 
relationship with the Brown 
Program, an adult day 
program that improves the 
lives of people living with 
dementia and their care 
partners, run jointly by JVS 
Human Services and Jewish 
Senior Life. 
Their relationship started 
with a pen pal program 
between fifth-grade students 
and the Brown Program 
participants, culminating in 
an end-of-school in-person 
visit to the center in pre-
pandemic years. Fortunately, 
through continued Character 
Education work at West 

Maple, which included 
community outreach, 
children throughout 
the school, from 
kindergarten up, became 
involved in creating 
artwork for the Brown 
Program. 
“We try to meet several 
times a year to work on our 
school culture and integrate 
character into our daily 
practices, including a way 
to foster a sense of family 
amongst all of our students,” 
said Jason Pesamoska, 
principal of West Maple 
Elementary, a Birmingham 
Public School near Inkster and 
Maple roads. “Working with 
the Brown Program has been a 
wonderful opportunity for our 
students this spring.”
As for the staff at the 
Brown Program, the first day 
back June 3 was exhilarating, 
emotional and long-awaited. 
“We could feel it in the air, the 
excitement was palpable,” said 
Brown Program Director Debi 
Banooni. “When the program 
first closed, we had thought it 
would be for a few months, but 
then it kept extending. Back in 
January, we were planning to 
reopen, but then COVID-19 

infection rates went up and it 
was not safe to do so. Being 
all together again, finally, was 
so wonderful. Everyone was 
smiling so much.”
The Brown Program is 
currently celebrating two 
recent achievements: Adult 
Day Services Center of 
Distinction Award from 
National Adult Day Services 
Association (NADSA) and 
a grant from the Wilson 
Legacy Foundation to support 
programming and resources to 
facilitate positive, meaningful 
interaction between care 
partners and their loved ones 
living with dementia.
Banooni said that many 
older adults, especially the 
vulnerable population she 
works with, had struggled with 
isolation and inactivity over 
the past year. However, the 
Brown Program maintained 
contact with participants 
with innovative and creative 

programming 
done in a virtual 
setting. There 
were twice-
weekly Zoom 
sessions for participants, 
plus programs for care 
partners who were struggling 
to take care of their loved 
ones, often with little respite. 
However, nothing beats 
interacting with people in the 
same room, enjoying activities 
such as games, music and 
physical exercise all together, 
and building friendships. 
“Now we can share the 
excitement and energy of our 
participants, and share ours 
with them,” she said. 

PHASE 1 REOPENING
For now, for purposes 
of COVID-19 safety, the 
reopening is in Phase 1. The 
West Bloomfield location is 
open to serve participants 
from both sites, while the 
Southfield location remains 
closed until a critical level of 
staffing and participants is 
reached. 
Participants must meet 
strict criteria: they were 
evaluated and registered back 

ALISON SCHWARTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Brown Program 
Reopens

Artwork and smiles greet 
Artwork and smiles greet 
older adult participants.
older adult participants.

Pictures and cards 
welcomed back 
Brown Program 
participants.
Maple, which included 
community outreach, 
children throughout 

kindergarten up, became 

artwork for the Brown 
sessions for participants, 

plus programs for care 

PHOTOS COURTESY BROWN PROGRAM

ALISON SCHWARTZ SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

