Led by The Parkinson Council, the largest nonprofit organization for Parkinson’s advocacy in Philadelphia, this project centers around relationship-building with two key community partners, who along with The Parkinson Council and many additional stakeholders will create a foundation for reaching and providing high-quality care to people with Parkinson’s who come from traditionally underserved communities.
The program’s short-term goals are to reach these traditionally underserved communities “where they are by developing culturally relevant education and resources that honor their experiences. Because of how communities of color view institutions of power, we will move intentionally to build trust garnered from the wealth of knowledge that currently exists with front-line community health workers, physician ‘champions,’ support group facilitators, and exercise specialists,” the grant proposal says. In the longer term, the program aims to have sustainable and trusting relationships between the African American community, Parkinson’s specialists, and stakeholders by providing education, services, and access to high-quality Parkinson’s care, including exercise, rehab, and mental health support.
- Wendy R. Lewis, CEO, The Parkinson Council
- Andrew Siderowf, MD MSCE, Director, Parkinson Disease and Movement Disorders Center, Pennsylvania Hospital
- Nabila Dahodwala, MD, MS, Associate Professor of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine
- Tsao-Wei Liang, MD, Director, Movement Disorders Program, Jefferson University Hospitals
- Anh-Thu Vu, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Drexel University School of Medicine, Jefferson Health-Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals
- Corlynn Hullfish, MSW, Social Worker, Cooper University Health System
- Marshall Mitchell, Pastor, Salem Baptist Church (Abington)
- Olenga Anabui, Director, IMPaCT, University of Pennsylvania
To learn more about this initiative, read this interview with Wendy Lewis or visit The Parkinson Council website here.
We have put an indefinite hold on our Community Grants program as of January 2024.
When we started our HPC Community Grants Program in 2021, we did so because we saw a very real need to invest in grassroots solutions to challenges of access, awareness, and engagement, particularly in underserved communities. Since then, we have been able to invest $470,000 into programs that have moved the needle on creating a more complete path to care, health literacy, and living well in communities across the country.
This pause in community funding is not a pause in our commitment to advancing the agenda of equitable access and care for all people living with Parkinson’s. Nor is it a divestment in the power of grassroots organizing. While we aim to bring this granting program back in the future, we continue to invest in communities through our Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ initiative and programs including our Ambassador Leadership program, HPC Network, Hispanic Community Engagement, and (most recently) Pedaling for Parkinson’s. Through this effort, we still intend to be a partner with leaders like you who have the vision and creativity necessary to change how people live with Parkinson’s in communities everywhere.