The Story Behind The Fresh Market’s Partnership with the Alzheimer’s Association
When Meredith Barnes walks into her office at the headquarters of The Fresh Market in Greensboro, she sees a shelf of awards the company has earned from the Alzheimer’s Association for its years of fundraising and partnership. For Meredith, this commitment is rooted in her own family’s story and their ten-year journey walking alongside her father, who is living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Meredith’s first encounter with Alzheimer’s came through her grandmother, who passed away from the disease. But it hit even closer to home in 2015, when her father was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, followed by an Alzheimer’s diagnosis about two years later.
And when her parents relocated to Greensboro to be closer to family — “It hit home on an even deeper level,” Meredith shared. She and her mother reached out to the Alzheimer’s Association for support. They soon got involved with Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Guilford County — joining first as participants, then as members of the Walk committee the following year.
“It was truly a family effort,” Meredith recalls. “Dad used to attend all of the Walk committee meetings with us, too.” His determination to help others also led to his participation in the Healthy Brain Study through the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, which seeks to identify early risk factors that may help predict cognitive decline.
Ten years into her family’s journey, much has changed. But Meredith still finds small, unexpected moments of joy with her father. She recalls a recent weekend when her father’s sisters came to stay with him — and returning home to find the three of them laughing together, just being goofy, like old times.
“There definitely are still those moments,” she shared. “You’ll have these kind of silly, jovial moments, and that is where I really can kind of still see a glimmer of him there.”
Meredith is still driven to make a difference and honor her dad’s wishes. Her volunteer activities have evolved into advocacy and outreach — and she’s constantly on the lookout for new ways and new people to engage in the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Turning Personal Purpose into Corporate Impact
In her professional life as Loyalty Program Manager at The Fresh Market, Meredith spends her workdays building points of connection between people, and she brought that same instinct to her volunteer work. One of her first moves was reaching out to her employer’s FAM (Family Advocacy and Mentorship) Business Resource Group to share her story and explore whether the company might get more involved.
That initial conversation grew into something much bigger. What started with company Walk teams expanded into employee seminars on Alzheimer’s and brain health. From there, the recurring question became, “What can we do to level up our partnership?”
The answer brought another passionate advocate to the table, Chef Carla Hall, who is a celebrity champion of the Association — and together they cooked up a new corporate initiative.
In June 2025, The Fresh Market launched its first Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month campaign, raising more than $21,000 through sales of Carla Hall’s Sweet Heritage Butter Tarts. In 2026, the campaign grew again when The Fresh Market introduced Carla Hall’s Market Meal Kits & Sides alongside a new fundraising initiative, inviting shoppers to round up their total at checkout.
This year alone, the campaign raised an extraordinary $94,000 for Alzheimer’s research, care, support and education.
A Ripple Effect Among Colleagues and Customers
For Meredith, the most meaningful part of this growth has been watching her colleagues make the cause their own. “People in different leadership roles within The Fresh Market have come up and spoken about their own journeys with Alzheimer’s,” she said. “It has struck me just how prevalent it is. Pretty much everyone you talk to has, if not a direct connection, an indirect one.”
One team member, Meredith recalled, walked into work one June morning to find campaign signage throughout the store — and realized in that moment they weren’t alone in their own caregiving journey.
Another employee, inspired by the cause, gathered every purple flower from the store’s floral department and arranged them around the Alzheimer’s Association sign at the front of the store.
Through their shared experiences, the connection between company and community deepened one conversation at a time.
Opening the Door to Conversation and Connection
Meredith is proud that her family’s and company’s efforts have created space for meaningful dialogue, helping ensure that no one facing dementia feels alone.
“What I’ve seen to have the biggest impact in terms of touching people is really just the awareness — opening the opportunity to have conversations that are a little heavy or hard, that wouldn’t just come up in normal conversation,” Meredith reflected. “It opens that door for people to be vulnerable and connect, and not feel isolated.”
That’s part of what makes Walk to End Alzheimer’s so special to her. One of her most meaningful experiences at her local Walk in Greensboro has been holding up her yellow flower — representing her role as a caregiver — and listening as her family’s story was shared with the crowd during the Promise Garden ceremony. Even more dear to her is the memory of her father carrying the blue flower years ago to represent all those who are also living with dementia.
Meredith’s advice to families who are just beginning this journey is simple, and hard-won: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help and use all of the potential resources available to you,” she said. “Don’t be afraid to plan ahead. Sometimes when you’re in the midst of it, you get caught up in the idea that if you’re planning for down the road, it’s almost like you’re bringing it forward. But you’re going to thank yourself later on.”
Meredith’s commitment — both personal and professional — continues to open doors for new opportunities and countless conversations with others walking a similar path. Thanks to her efforts and the partnership of The Fresh Market, families like hers know that they don’t have to walk it alone.
The number of Americans living with Alzheimer’s is growing.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association’s 2026 Facts and Figures report, more than 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. Almost 13 million family members and friends serve as dementia caregivers.
We all have a reason to fight to end Alzheimer’s and all dementia. Join Meredith, her family, and thousands of others at a Walk to End Alzheimer’s event in North Carolina. Register today at alz.org/walk.
Join your local Walk to End Alzheimer’s today — as an individual or with a team.
The Alzheimer’s Association hosts 17 walks across North Carolina. The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association® mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer’s Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Together, we can end Alzheimer’s.
Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2026 dates in North Carolina:
| Alamance County | 9/26/26 |
| Asheville | 10/3/26 |
| Charlotte | 10/24/26 |
| Fayetteville | 10/24/26 |
| Gaston/Cleveland/Lincoln | 10/10/26 |
| Guilford County | 10/17/26 |
| Henderson County | 10/3/26 |
| Iredell Co. & Lake Norman | 9/26/26 |
| Jacksonville | 9/26/26 |
| Moore County | 9/19/26 |
| Mount Airy | 9/19/26 |
| New Bern | 10/17/26 |
| Rowan-Cabarrus | 10/3/26 |
| Unifour | 10/24/26 |
| Triangle (Raleigh-Durham) | 10/3/26 |
| Wilmington | 10/31/26 |
| Winston-Salem | 11/7/26 |
