Stop & Rest at Rest-Stop-Ranch
— Mary E. MacDonald
What is Stop & Rest?
Stop & Rest is a small group for people who care for a family member without pay: an aging parent, a spouse who is ill, a child with a disability. Up to eight caregivers meet in the Caretaker’s Cottage on Tuesday afternoons for an hour and a half.
The Cottage is a quiet, accessible place to be heard by people who understand. Each session has time to share, a guided relaxation, and resources you can take home, with attention to how you are doing physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Come to one session or all six.
About the Group Facilitator
Mary founded Rest-Stop-Ranch after a difficult dementia-care journey. In 2010–2011 she trained as a 200-hour yoga teacher at Kripalu Center in Lenox, supported by a scholarship for teachers of special populations. Unpaid family caregivers are the population she teaches: meditation, chair yoga, yoga dance, restorative yoga, and Integrated Positional Therapy. She holds an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College and a BA in Psychology and German from the University of Rochester.
Session Details & RSVP
The group is limited to eight people. Please RSVP for each session you plan to attend.
- When: Tuesdays, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM, November 3 through December 8, 2026 (six weeks).
- Where: The Caretaker’s Cottage, 202 Haverhill Road, Topsfield.
- Cost: Free of charge. Optional donations are gratefully accepted and help cover refreshments, facilitator training, our internship and volunteer program, utilities, and building maintenance.
- RSVP: Reserve online for each Tuesday you plan to attend, or text Mary at 978-887-4202.
Student Internship and Volunteers
Undergraduate or graduate students in social work or psychology are welcome to apply for a six-week unpaid internship with this group. Complete the Team Member Application and follow its instructions to email, mail, or drop it off.
We are also looking for one volunteer, a current or former caregiver, to help set up and clean up each week. Text Mary at 978-887-4202 if you can help.