Executive Director Peg Lahmeyer and Program Director Nancy Tissot received a Certificate of Recognition from the office of the Lieutenant Governor. Pictured, from left, are Barbara Kelley, retired director of Alzheimer's Resource Coordination Center, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging; Lahmeyer; Tissot; and Kay Hightower, program manager, ElderCare Trust Fund, Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging.

The ARK Celebrates 20 Years of Serving Families Living with Alzheimer’s, Dementia

For 20 years, The ARK, Alzheimer’s Family Support Services of SC has helped hundreds of families in the tri-county area and beyond living with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia through its many support services, including respite care, support groups, education, caregiver consultations, resource referrals and community development. 

The ARK opened on Jan. 8, 1996, as a community outreach program of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Summerville. 

“We have been privileged to serve so many families over 20 years,” said Peg Lahmeyer, founder and executive director. “We will continue to grow our programs to meet the need for families in our area in the future. Our relationships with individuals, families, volunteers and staff, community partners, generous donors and grantors have made it all possible. 

“I am in awe of the many lives The ARK has touched and how enriched they all have made our lives as staff and volunteers,” she added. 

Program Director Nancy Tissot has been with The ARK from day one. “Working closely with our participants and our dedicated volunteers has been such a blessing to me,” she said. “We truly are a family at The ARK. I look forward to our future with great anticipation.” 

The ARK provides a variety of community outreach services and programs. Over the last two decades, it has expanded its Summerville respite program from one day a week to four days a week while adding a center in St. George. This year, The ARK will launch a new satellite respite program in Harleyville. 

The ARK offers Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes, an educational program designed to help family caregivers take care of themselves while caring for loved ones who have a chronic illness. It also manages the NOAH Project, a community outreach effort to assist small towns, rural communities and underserved urban areas in developing their own services to help families dealing with Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia. 

Volunteers can assist with the respite program, serving coffee/tea, assisting with crafts or sharing a special talent like singing or dance. Volunteers also work with The ARK on its signature fundraisers, Dancing with The ARK’s Stars each March and Race for The ARK, a 5K run/walk each August. 

For more information on The ARK and its programs or for details on how to volunteer or donate, visit thearkofsc.org or call 843-832-2357

ABOUT THE ARK, ALZHEIMER’S FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES

Based in Summerville, The ARK is a local nonsectarian nonprofit outreach program providing comprehensive support services to families living with Alzheimer’s or related dementia. For more information, call 843-832-2357 or visit thearkofsc.org