Free and open to all · No church membership required
Wyckoff, NJ · Free · Open to All

Our loved ones are not gone
before they are gone. They are very much alive.

The Kaleidoscope is a community where care partners and people living with dementia come together to find joy, humor, compassion, and life as it is being lived right now.

Hero photo Set the home page Featured Image to display here.

"Finding beauty together in dementia's changing landscape."

Quiet moment between care partner and loved one
A different way of looking at dementia

We say no to the tragedy narrative.

Most stories about dementia begin with a long goodbye. They describe a person disappearing slowly, becoming someone else, fading away. We disagree.

Our loved ones are not gone before they are gone. They are very much alive. There is still joy. There is still humor. There is still compassion. There is still a life being lived — right now, in this moment, with all of us.

"Each moment in the dementia journey is painting a beautiful picture to behold — like a kaleidoscope does with each turn of the wheel. But like a kaleidoscope, you need light to see it. Our hope is to help care partners find that light."

That belief shapes everything we do. The way we gather. The way we listen. The way we hold space for people in the middle of an unknown season — and the way we honor the person they love, exactly as they are today.

How we gather

Three ways to connect

All gatherings are free, in-person at our home in Wyckoff, and intentionally designed so no one has to come alone.

Monthly Speaker Series

Speaker Nights

An interactive evening with experts on brain change, communication, and care — built around a shared meal and real conversation, not a lecture.

See upcoming topics →
Second Saturday · Monthly

Connection Café

A warm, welcoming space for care partners to be heard, while the people they care for stay in the room — engaged in conversation and meaningful activity with volunteers.

Learn how it works →
Six-Session Series

Living Well

A small group for individuals experiencing mild cognitive impairment or early cognitive changes — a place to share perspectives, support well-being, and live with meaning.

Read about the series →
What makes us different

You don't have to leave anyone behind to get support.

Most caregiver support requires you to drop your loved one off somewhere — or arrange respite care — before you can be cared for yourself. For many families, that barrier means support never comes.

At The Kaleidoscope, the person you care for stays right there with you, in the same room. They're welcomed into meaningful conversation and activity with trained volunteers, while you receive the help you need. You can see each other. You can be reassured by a glance across the room.

It had been years since he had seen or heard his wife have so much. Perhaps it was because her quick glances across the room reassured her of his presence. — A care partner, after his first visit
Care partner and loved one at the same table, both engaged

What's coming up

Upcoming gatherings, synced from our Facebook page.

Live from Facebook · Updated automatically
Photo placeholder
Sat · May 16

Connection Café

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM · 475 Lafayette Ave

See details →
Photo placeholder
Sat · May 30

Living Well · Session 4

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM · Six-session series

See details →
Photo placeholder
Sat · June 13

Connection Café

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM · 475 Lafayette Ave

See details →
See full events calendar
One year in

By the numbers

The Kaleidoscope opened its doors in January 2025. Here's what the first year looked like.

1,200
Individuals served
700%
Attendance growth
4
NJ + NY counties reached
$0
Cost to attend, ever
Voices from our community

What participants are saying

"
"A safe place to meet, share, and learn together. A welcoming community where you're not alone."
— Care partner, 2025
"
"Every time we get in the car, my husband asks if we're going to 'the place on the hill.' He feels happy, comfortable, and connected there."
— Wife of a participant living with dementia
"
"I am forever changed and so honored to be a part of The Kaleidoscope. I never imagined what God had planned."
— Volunteer
Who you'll meet

The people behind The Kaleidoscope

KM

Rev. Keith Moody

Senior Minister · Co-Lead

M.Div. + Disability Ministry Certificate, Western Theological Seminary.

MB

Maureen Braen

Dementia Specialist · Facilitator

CPXP, CDP, CMDCP, CDSGF, CADDCT. Founder of Rise Dementia Care.

CC

Elder Cheryl Cohen

Co-Lead · Founding Visionary

Cared for her own father through Alzheimer's. The original spark.

WV

Elder Wilma Vander Molen

Trustee

Helps shape volunteer training and the rhythm of every gathering.

A 501(c)(3) public charity. Original ministry of Abundant Life Reformed Church, Wyckoff, NJ.

In community with

Trusted partnerships

We're privileged to work alongside organizations across Bergen County and beyond.

Bergen County Division of Senior Services
Care2Caregivers · Rutgers UBHC
Dementia Friendly Bergen County
Wyckoff Clergy Association
Christian Health
The Wyckoff Love Fund

Come as you are.

If you've been wondering whether to come, come. There is no judgment here, and no one has ever told us they came too soon.