Help Us Reach More Families — Join the Rest-Stop-Ranch Board of Directors

Spring is here. The daffodils are pushing through along Orchard Ave, the tree swallows are back, the wrens are soon to follow, and the garden is waking up after a long winter. It is the time of year that reminds us why we built this place.

We are writing today with a direct ask. Rest-Stop-Ranch is expanding its Board of Directors from four members to seven, and we need three more people willing to help us do this work — not from a distance, but up close.

We began in 2009 because of dementia. Mary’s mother, Margaret, had frontotemporal dementia, and the isolation that comes with that kind of long-term care is something you cannot fully describe unless you have lived it. We built this place — four accessible acres, seven garden areas, a Cottage with a fire going in winter — because caregivers and the people they care for need somewhere to go that costs nothing and asks nothing of them except to show up. Fifteen years later, 292 people visited in 2025 alone.

The circle has widened considerably. We serve families navigating Alzheimer’s, FTD, Young-Onset dementia, Down syndrome, autism, paralysis, and more. The need is bigger than the four of us can meet alone. That is why we are asking.

Who is already here

The best way to understand what joining this board means is to meet the people already on it.

Karen came to us through the Memory Cafe. John came through the town, seeing a need that aligned with his own mission. That is the pattern we are hoping to repeat — people who already know what this place does, or who know this community’s needs, stepping into a more formal role.

What we’re asking for

Our board is not a governance-only body. We need people willing to participate in the actual programs — to help lead the Memory Cafe, support the Care-Partner Group on Zoom, show up at the Thursday Social, or bring skills we do not currently have to the work of keeping this place running and growing.

We don’t ask board members for money. Our mission is access without barriers — every program here is free of charge — and we apply that same principle to how we build our own team. What we ask for is your time, your presence, and your willingness to be accountable to the people we serve.

The honest time commitment:

• One monthly board meeting, approximately one hour via Zoom — four times a year this is an on-site meeting at the Ranch (replacing Zoom that month)
• Active participation in one or more RSR programs as your schedule and skills allow — Memory Cafe, Thursday Social, Care-Partner Group, or another that fits
• Committee work and communication between meetings
• Estimated total: approximately 10–20 hours per month
• Board terms are one year and renewable — new members receive a full orientation including bylaws, governance overview, program introductions, and financials

Who we’re looking for

If you are a long-term caregiver, someone living with a disability, or someone who has watched a family member navigate Alzheimer’s or FTD or another long-term illness — your lived experience matters here more than your professional credentials. Our board should reflect the community we serve. No prior board experience is required.

We have three open seats. The board will work together with each candidate to find the right fit. We are especially hoping to hear from people with backgrounds in the following areas, though we are open to anyone who understands and cares about the work:

• Nonprofit Finance / CPA — We are looking for someone who can review and sign off on our annual nonprofit tax filings (Form 990) and who would be willing to step in to manage the books if an emergency ever required it.
• Real Estate or Environmental Law — The Ranch sits adjacent to wetlands. As we expand our accessible trail system and garden infrastructure, we need someone familiar with real estate law and environmental regulations governing construction near wetland environments in Massachusetts.
• Lived Experience or Community Connection — A nursing or social work background, personal experience as a caregiver or care-receiver, or strong ties to the North Shore communities we serve.

These are the needs we have identified, but we are not filling slots — we are building a team. If you do not fit neatly into any of these categories and still feel called to this work, we want to hear from you.

Where we are, and what’s ahead

The Ranch sits on four accessible acres in Topsfield with half a mile of ADA-accessible paved trails and wooden boardwalks through multiple garden areas — 100+ wheelchair-accessible rose shrubs, 70+ lilacs, a Lily Pond Overlook, and the Caretaker’s Cottage where the Memory Cafe and Thursday Social happen year-round. We became an accredited ArbNet Level I Arboretum in 2025. That year we served 292 visits from 150 unique guests on a budget of just over $52,000. Every program, every visit, free of charge.

We started with dementia caregivers and learned over fifteen years how wide that circle actually is. Families living with FTD, Young-Onset Alzheimer’s, Down syndrome, autism, acquired brain injury, paralysis — and the people who love and care for them — need a place where the path is always open. We want to reach more of them. Three new board members is part of how we do that.

Board Member Interest Form

All fields marked * are required. We’ll be in touch to arrange a tour and conversation with the board.

Not the right fit for you personally? If someone comes to mind — a CPA, an attorney, a nurse, a social worker, a caregiver, or someone who knows this community — please forward this along. The person you are thinking of right now may not know we are here, or that there is a role for them.

Mary MacDonald, Karl Ackerman, Karen Moniz & John Coulon
Board of Directors, Rest-Stop-Ranch
Topsfield, MA  ·  rest-stop-ranch.org  ·  978-887-4202