Sandpoint Friendship Station Helps People Living With Dementia Get Back on the Water
When Sandpoint, Idaho’s only day respite option for people living with dementia closed in 2024, Denise “Deni” Williamson and Elissabeth Defreitas knew families in their small community would need somewhere to turn.
“We knew that this would be a crisis for other people,” said Williamson.
That urgency became Sandpoint Friendship Station, a volunteer-powered, community-based program in northern Idaho where people living with dementia, care partners, and volunteers gather weekly for connection, purpose, and support.
With an $8,500 grant from the I’m Still Here Foundation (ISHF), Friendship Station is now taking that mission outdoors through All Aboard! Outdoors!, a dementia-friendly sailing and outdoor engagement program. Its purpose is to help people continue participating in the activities that have shaped their lives.
“It’s all about engagement,” said Defreitas. “Engagement is the key.”
ISHF Executive Director Sharon Johnson agreed and said a dementia diagnosis can often lead to the assumption that a person will no longer be able to engage in familiar activities, especially active outdoor programs.
“We know people living with dementia are very capable of enjoying and participating in outdoor activities,” she said. “All Aboard! Outdoors! helps the broader community see people living with dementia through their abilities, not their diagnosis…We are very proud to support them.”
The idea behind Friendship Station is rooted in the founders’ personal experiences. Williamson’s husband, Gary, lived with dementia before his death in 2021 and had attended the respite program that later closed. Defreitas also walked a long caregiving journey with close friend Dan, who lived with dementia for 12 years.
Their lives had already been connected through what Williamson called “the gift we never wanted—the friendship of Alzheimer’s.” After the day respite center’s closure, the two women hosted a listening session on Williamson’s porch, inviting care partners and community members to talk honestly about what Sandpoint needed next.
“What will we do as a community?” Defreitas remembered people wondering. “When we said what we were doing, they were so relieved.”
Friendship Station officially launched in January 2026 and meets weekly at Sandpoint United Methodist Church, which provides space, kitchen access, and utilities. The program operates without labels, as participants and volunteers wear the same name tags.
They also sit together in small groups, share meals, and take part in music, movement, art, cognitive activities, service projects, and “quiet options for those who need a break.”
“It’s not just a drop-off program—it’s a social program,” said Defreitas. “We are building community each and every week. It’s become a family.”
That family is now reaching beyond the church walls and onto the water. Through All Aboard! Outdoors!, Friendship Station is partnering with Dogsmile Adventures and its founder, Captain Jon Totten, who offers therapeutic sailing, to create safe, welcoming sailing experiences for people living with dementia and their care partners.
For Defreitas, the program's power became clear during an early outing with a participant who had sailed throughout his life. Though he could no longer drive, something changed when he reached the helm.
“When I saw him at the helm…it brought tears to my eyes because he was so empowered in that moment,” she said. “He was sailing the ship.”
The outing sparked stories, confidence, and connection. Later, the team learned that the participant and his care partner continued sailing with Captain Jon—something they had thought they might never do again.
For Williamson, that moment reflects the larger purpose of All Aboard! Outdoors! to help people continue to access the activities and identities that have shaped their lives. Her late husband, Gary, had loved sailing, biking, skiing, and being active outdoors, even as dementia changed what was safe or possible without support.
“Participants still have muscle memory,” she said. “One of the things that we’ll be exploring this year is how to make it safe and wise to use.”
The ISHF grant will also support onshore activities connected to the sailing program, including “Ship and Shore” gatherings that combine time on the water with land-based engagement for those who prefer to stay ashore. Friendship Station is additionally working with local partners to address practical needs, including accessibility, parking, bathrooms, volunteer support, and community readiness.
Sailing may be just the beginning, as Defreitas and Williamson both hope the program can eventually open doors to other outdoor experiences.
“As a local expression of the growing Respite For All communities across America, we share in a movement of presence that is often seen as ‘a friendship revolution,’” added Defreitas.
Sandpoint Friendship Station is one of many community-led programs ISHF supports across the country. Founded in 1995 in Massachusetts, nonprofit ISHF helps communities implement research-informed, non-pharmacologic engagement programs so people living with dementia can experience connection, dignity, and hope.
To learn more about Friendship Station or ISHF, visit imstillhere.org.
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