New Hope Valley

              http://www.newhopevalley.us/

  Hi, this blog will be different.  There will be two people, K. Rumi Shahzad (Rumi) and me as we tell a story how a building can go on a Journey with God and Alzheimer’s.  The story is about how two people in different Religions, Muslim and Christian and how we will help each other.  This story started in Apr 23-12 and it to 2013. Rumi will write what his doing and I will write also.  Every Month we will share our Journeys as we go along.  

  APR 23,   I received an email from a man that I never heard and I called my sister to ask hear if I should open the email. Penny went to check on him and it was would ok. I read this:    Hi Sara - Hope you are well.  I came across your blog as I was doing research on best practices in Alzheimer's.  I am an adjunct faculty member at Saginaw Valley State University and founder of a company New Hope Partners that is building an assisted living facility in Saginaw Township.  Schedule permitting, I would like to meet with you and discuss your thoughts on Alzheimer's and how to develop a caring environment to provide for folks who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Please let me know what your schedule is like and perhaps we can grab coffee / lunch together over the next week or so.  

                  Rgds,Rumi     K. Rumi Shahzad    New Hope Partners

I called Rumi and we set up a time to meet on April 25th.  Rumi will come to Midland and Butch and I will met him at Molly’s Restaurant.   We talked and talk.  I was scared that I could not get my words out to make them to understand me.  No problem!  We talked about families, I heard the words God and Higher Power and in my brain I heard we can work together. We talked about New Hope Valley and my blog.  Wonderful Day!  I had in my bag one of my shirts that said “At my age I have seen it all, heard it all, done it all, I just can’t seem to remember it all”.  He laughed hard when he saw it and said that my sense of humor was infectious.  I told him that the best thing about Butch is that he makes me laugh every day.  He wanted to know what makes me tick and keep going on, I said my faith in God. 

Apr 25   to Sara - It was really nice to meet you and Butch today.  I learned a lot from our conversation and look forward to a continued exchange of thoughts and ideas.  Thanks for passing the workshop info.  I will plan on visiting the Midland office of the Alzheimer's Association next week.
Rgds,
 Rumi

BY PATTI BRANDT            

http://mtv.mihomepaper.com/news/2012-03-01/Business/Construction_set_to_begin_on_New_Hope_Assisted_Liv.html

Construction set to begin on New Hope Assisted Living Center.

A conceptual drawing of the front of New Hope Assisted Living Center.

Construction will start in April on a new 45-unit, 27,000-square foot assisted living home in Saginaw

During May, June and July we emailed back and forth or cell phones.  Rumi was getting close to start a building called New Hope Valley.  Also, I was able to Introduced Rumi to Erin at Midland’s Seasons Adult Day care center in Midland,   He visited the center and called me to thank me for introducing him to this caring community center environment.  We were able  to connect with one of the Alzheimer’s  Support  Group. 

Now we will start on what we did through August.

 September will be awesome.  There are lots of things we can do around our area and make a difference in someone’s life.   Here are 3 Walks in our area, 

Saginaw:  Sept 8, Saginaw Township Soccer, Complex.  

Genesee County/Grand Blanc:  Nature Trails at Genesys, Sept 15.

Midland Emerson Park, Sept 22. 

 

Thank You God!