Cucina Di Rosa owner, Rose Mary Leggio, knows first hand what it’s like to watch a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s.  Her grandmother suffered from the disease. Something Rose Mary remembers from watching her grandmother was how she reacted to stuffed animals. In a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page she explained “I’ve seen this in my own life as my grandmother “Nonna Paolina” got older and started going downhill. She had a doll she named after my oldest son Joey. This doll never left her side and she took care of it, put food aside for him and loved him until she passed away at 101 years old.”

Now, in honor of her grandmother and to help others suffering from Alzheimer’s, she has started “Dolls for Golden Dolls.” Collecting dolls at Cucina Di Rosa and donating them to PA Peterson for the resident’s Christmas Party with the goal of providing the same comforting feeling to any resident who may need it. Feel free to drop off a new, unwrapped doll and place it under the tree at Cucina Di Rosa.