Blanche Curtis kept interrupting herself to wave and talk to the children moving past her in the hall at First United Methodist Church in Bangor.

Curtis, 82, was able to pick up a story describing how to make an angel out of washcloths right where she had left off, even though the Holden resident suffers some memory loss because of strokes.

“Some of them are shy, but they all know this,” she said, clapping her hands toward a toddler who stopped to grin at Curtis and clap her tiny hands, too.

Curtis is one of eight men and women who attend My Friend’s Place, which is what the church calls its adult day center. She visits twice a week at the center, which is part of the church at 703 Essex St.

Last week, the group combined its activities with the church’s vacation Bible school program. It was one of the few opportunities for intergenerational activities since the adult center opened in 2001 because the church has not offered a vacation Bible school program for several years.

The elderly participants joined the children in singing, crafts, Bible stories and other activities on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Pam Werkmeister, director of educational ministry.

My Friend’s Place is a licensed nonprofit organization funded by participants’ fees, grants and donations, with support from the Brookdale Foundation, the Maine Alzheimer’s Project and its host church. Trained volunteers work with the adults, and there is one volunteer for every two participants.

My Friend’s Place is the only program of its kind that is not associated with a residential care facility in the Bangor area. Seven of the eight participants are cared for at home by relatives, who most often is one of their children, said director Barbara Fister.

The program is licensed for 12 adults. Although the center is at the church, it is open to people of other religious denominations.

“I’ve been working with My Friend’s Place as a volunteer for two years and have organized intergenerational programs at other churches,” Werkmeister said Wednesday.

“Because both programs were going to be in the building at the same time, we thought it would be fun to put them together. There were lots of hugs today and it was a good experience for the kids. Everyone seemed to enjoy it.”

The theme for the week was “Lighthouse Kids: Shining God’s Light.” While the children sported T-shirts bearing pictures of red-striped lighthouses, Curtis fashioned a bib out of a hand towel embroidered with a lighthouse to get into the spirit of the week.

Themes are important at My Friend’s Place, which operates from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, according to Fister. Activities center around the themes, which include a time to reminisce, singing, crafts, exercise, games, walking as well as snacks and lunch.

For example, “Sail Away,” the theme for Aug. 12, will involve participants bringing in models or pictures of sailboats and talking about their experiences sailing or being on a boat, Fister said. The craft portion will allow them to make sailboats, then float them in containers. The next day, when the theme will be “Aprons and Handkerchiefs,” participants will hold a relay race that will include carrying eggs in an apron. They’ll even play the game Drop the Handkerchief.

The program’s goal is twofold: to offer the elderly a safe, supportive and friendly environment that offers life-enriching social and recreational activities, and to provide a respite for caregivers, according to the program’s mission statement.

It has worked on both counts for Curtis and her daughter.

“My Friend’s Place has given my mom a life,” said Donna Curtis-Cole, 47, of Holden. “Here she has interaction with people who lived in the same time range that she did and she’s with people that she can share memories with. Since she began coming here, her manual dexterity has improved and she beats me at checkers now.

“For me as a caregiver, it saved my life also, because now my mom has a social life and that’s the hardest thing for me to give her. Before we began coming here, anxiety defined my life. Now, I put the anxiety aside when she’s here.”

Her mother is just as enthusiastic about the program.

“This is the best place,” Curtis said. “I have friendships, I get taught things and I get hugs. I love getting a hug from all my friends here. And I’m out of my house. There is no better place to be.”

Fister, 51, a registered nurse, knows firsthand the needs of the elderly with memory loss and their caregivers.

The Hampden resident helped care for both of her parents as they aged, suffered from memory loss and, eventually, were unable to care for themselves. When the church decided in the fall of 2000 to establish the program as part of its ministry, Fister won the part-time job as director.

“There are so many caregivers walking around running on empty,” Curtis-Cole said. “Coming here is like getting a full tank of gas with an octane boost.”

For information on My Friend’s Place, call Barbara Fister, 945-0122.