American Parkinson Disease Association RESPONDS TO COVID-19
WITH SUPPORT FROM ADIRA FOUNDATION
APDA Receives Adira’s Fast-Trask Response Grant to Assist
People With Parkinson’s Disease During Pandemic
NEW YORK, NY – June 9, 2020 — The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has been supporting people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) for more than 60 years. However, the current COVID-19 pandemic has presented new and unexpected challenges for those living with PD and APDA’s ability to serve them. Thanks to generous support from the Adira Foundation, APDA is able to expand its Patient Assistance Program to support people with PD who need extra help to meet basic needs for a healthy life.
Through its nationwide network of Chapters, for more than 20 years APDA’s existing Patient Assistance Program has been helping people impacted by PD afford support services such as exercise and wellness programs, respite and adult day programs, assistance at home from shopping for food to shoveling snow, transportation and childcare assistance. With the support from Adira, APDA will be able to expand the parameters of the program to include utility bill payment, housing/lodging, and food.
“During this time of great upheaval in our country, many people with Parkinson’s disease are vulnerable, isolated and not receiving the usual level of care as non-emergent physician appointments are cancelled and support groups and wellness programs are on hold,” states Leslie A. Chambers, President and CEO, APDA. “Many are on restricted incomes and cannot afford food delivery or additional home aide services. They may not have family members nearby whom they can rely upon for support. By addressing the most basic needs of food, housing, personal assistance and utility bill payment, we can help ease some of these needs for people with PD and their families.”
Jumping into action, Adira Foundation, a new organization that works specifically with neurodegenerative disease communities, quickly created a Fast-Track Response COVID-19 grant program to support nonprofit organizations that could expand existing programs or implement a new program immediately to meet new COVID-19 related needs. Understanding the need for swift action, applications were reviewed immediately, and applicants received a decision within two business days of the submission.
“The grant process can often be lengthy, and we knew that people needed help right now, so we created our Fast-Track grant program to help organizations like APDA expand their important work during this particularly challenging time,” Adira CEO and Founder Greg Smiley said. “Life with Parkinson’s can already present so many challenges, and we hope our support will alleviate some of the additional stress, isolation and burden the pandemic has caused.”
This grant will help APDA provide support to 200 additional people with PD as they navigate the additional challenges COVID-19, with a focus on reaching under-served Spanish speaking communities with information about the program written in Spanish. APDA will also use the opportunity to collect data about the greatest needs of the PD community in each support area, which will help in developing more programs and services in the future that will meet the specific needs of people with PD.
“We’re so thankful for Adira’s partnership during this critical time,” states Chambers. “Their quick action is helping us make a difference for our constituents and will help make their lives a little easier.”
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, APDA has developed a plethora of virtual programs to help the PD community feel supported, engaged and informed. To learn more, visit www.apdaparkinson.org.
For information about APDA’s Patient Assistance Program, please contact Heather Gray at 718-981-8491 or hgray@apdaparkinson.org.
About the American Parkinson Disease Assocation:
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is the largest grassroots network dedicated to fighting Parkinson’s disease (PD) and works tirelessly to help the approximately one million people with PD in the United States live life to the fullest in the face of this chronic, neurological disorder. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $207 million to provide outstanding patient services and educational programs, elevate public awareness about the disease, and support research designed to unlock the mysteries of PD and ultimately put an end to this disease. To join us in the fight against PD and to learn more about the support APDA provides nationally through our network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, as well as our national Research Program and Centers for Advanced Research, please visit us at www.apdaparkinson.org.
About the Adira Foundation:
Adira Foundation is a national nonprofit public foundation whose mission is to invest in better lives for people with neurodegenerative diseases. We work by bringing disease communities together, listening and learning from their point-of-view, naming and setting priorities for grants, then co-financing and funding programs. We monitor, evaluate, and learn from the work to improve over time. Our initial focus is the communities around five neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, Huntington’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease.