Juggling the roles of speaker,
author, vocal coach and award-winning
gospel artist, Lauren
Talley is a busy lady, yet she
took time recently to organize
and host a fundraiser for the
Veranda, a ministry in her home
state of Tennessee. Here, Lauren
shares about the meaningful work
done by the ministry’s dedicated
volunteers who
sow into the lives
of families affected
by Alzheimer’s and
dementia.
Most of us think of ministry in terms of
public platforms and visible efforts: preaching,
singing, teaching or mission work. All of
those things certainly qualify,
but I’ve seen firsthand the
ministry that happens when
ordinary people give their
time and resources to love
on people that others sometimes
forget.

The Veranda is a nonprofit
respite care ministry
in Gallatin, Tennessee, which
meets the needs of patients
and families affected by
Alzheimer’s, dementia and
other medical issues. Three
days a week, the Veranda
welcomes in clients to
participate in activities
and enjoy the company of
friends who extend Christ to
them, while their caregivers
enjoy much-needed time
to rest and recharge. The
Veranda serves delicious meals, organizes
fun outings, and holds church services for
the sweet folks who have been robbed of
memories, freedom and dignity. They also
provide support for the families of their
clients. It is not uncommon to find one of
the Veranda staff members (all of whom
are volunteers) visiting their clients in the
hospital or their homes. Sometimes
they are the only ones who
are there. No one is turned away
from the Veranda — families who
cannot afford professional care for
their loved ones are not charged.
The Veranda has found ways to
put a smile on their clients’ faces
and laugh in the face of otherwise
painful circumstances.

The Veranda has a lot of friends
in the gospel music world, and in
September 2016 at the National
Quartet Convention, many of
those friends came together for the first-ever
Celebrity Dunk Tank Challenge, with all
proceeds benefiting the Veranda. I recruited
my friends Michael Booth, Tim Lovelace,
Josh Singletary, Scotty Inman and my uncle Kirk Talley to ask their fans to donate online,
and fans were all too eager to help send
those guys underwater. I also challenged my
social media followers
to raise $1000 to get
me in the dunk tank.
We were all drenched by the end, but enjoyed a lot of laughs. The
event raised over six thousand dollars, and
a lot of folks fell in love with this amazing
ministry. The outpouring of love from people
who didn’t previously know of the Veranda’s
work, but blessed them wholeheartedly,
touched all of us deeply.
My grandmother (I called her “Mamaw”)
suffered the last 10 years of her life with Alzheimer’s
disease, and it was a very challenging
time for our entire family, especially my
Papaw. He stood by her side and cared for her
faithfully every day, but I wish so much that
we could have benefited from the Veranda’s
ministry at that time. My hope and prayer is
that other families will find help, peace and
joy in their struggle. The folks at the Veranda
will tell you it’s possible. Because of Christ,
the Veranda is a happy place.
For more information, visit
Verandaministries.org.