The front desk volunteers at the Memory Hub are the first contact that visitors have upon entering the community center. Each volunteer brings a commitment to the Memory Hub mission, a compassionate and helpful spirit, and respect and kindness for folks living with memory loss and their caregivers. Join us in welcoming Elisabeth Gunningham!
On Elisabeth’s days behind the Memory Hub front desk, visitors can count on meeting another “greeter,” a small fluffy service dog named Milly. Elisabeth trained Milly while serving as a dementia caregiver for her longtime client who had developed Alzheimer’s disease after his retirement.
“The experience of learning how to maintain meaningful connections with him as he navigated the progression of his dementia transformed my understanding of my own purpose in life,” she said.
Elisabeth accompanied her client to dementia-oriented events at the Memory Hub and the Frye Art Museum, until his passing in 2025. “Joining him in these programs showed me just how much richness, connection, and joy can remain possible even as cognitive decline progresses,” she said. This year, Elisabeth decided to reconnect with the Memory Hub, and the Elderwise Adult Day Program offered on-site, both to honor his memory and share her passion for dementia-friendly community.
“I love to help, and I relish being given tasks and opportunities to grow my skills and to help create that welcoming environment that my late client and I found so nurturing in the beginning of our journey with dementia."
Elisabeth can point to earlier life experiences that formed her approach to dementia care and community. She remembers her winter break during her freshman year in college, when she had just arrived back in the US from her home in Côte d'Ivoire. Through a friend, she got the opportunity to work as an aide at a local memory care facility in a remote part of Eastern Oregon.
She learned that most residents' families and friends lived far from the facility. “I experienced a severe culture shock at the way these vulnerable adults were being sequestered without enrichment or integration in the wider community. When I started working as a dementia caregiver and saw for myself how much dementia care has grown and changed, it was especially meaningful to me to re-engage in dementia-friendly care.”
Now, as a front desk volunteer, Elisabeth is enjoying sharing her passion for dementia-friendly community with others. “The sense of optimism, compassion, and joyfulness is tangible at the Memory Hub. Engaging with participants and visitors and seeing the uplifting effect of being present and accepted exactly where and who you are is good for my soul.”
Outside of her volunteering, Elisabeth loves to bake and collect recipe books. “I feel that a day spent without enjoying tea or coffee breaks with friends leads to a life ill spent,” she says. She is an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy, history and politics, English and World literature classics, poetry, essays, and mysteries. She also enjoys crocheting and quilting.
“Most of all, I like spending time with Milly, whose favorite things include head scratches, belly rubs, and greeting everyone she meets.” • Genevieve Wanucha
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