Many years ago, I met a woman living in Pakistan and India working with Mother Theresa. I was in awe of her humanitarian soul and selflessness. I too wanted to be like her, to work and to travel to India. However, she quickly told me, "You don't have to go to another country to help the undeserved. There is much you can do right here, at home". Her wise words were said 30 years ago and still resonate with me today. In late 2014, while working as city commissioner for the Riverside Commission on Aging, a resident came to a commission meeting and shared the story of how his wife passed away from Alzheimer's Disease at the tender age of 59. Rich spoke of his struggles as a caregiver, his mental health issues and depression, and the stress he endured trying to navigate the long, hard path of dementia care for his beloved. He also shared how difficult it was to get the right resources that could have helped him as a caregiver navigate the tough road ahead. I continued advocating for seniors in the Riverside community, helping establish a "task force" with the goal of making Riverside a dementia-friendly city, a community resource list for senior health care management, and the Riverside Purple Boat Float, honoring the lives of the loves ones we've lost to dementia.

In January 2020, everything changed, and the city was shut down for what seemed like forever. However, the passion I carried for advocating for seniors in the community remained. So, during the dark days of the pandemic, a new idea was born. In 2021, The Inland Dementia C.A.R.E. Center was established, Advocacy, Resources, and Education. A community-first center where anyone can come to share experiences, read a book about dementia, take a class, join a support group, or listen to a doctor's perspective on advancing medical treatments. The IDCC is the answer the community needs to help navigate the struggles I heard from a sad, beaten man who watched his wife disappear under the dark cloud of Alzheimer's Disease.