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By & for those affected by Parkinson’s disease

May 2021

From The Board

A Team with Many Talents The Board is pleased to announce that Judi Ettlinger has been chosen by the PD Active Board of Directors as the incoming president succeeding Chad Zucker whose term as president expires this month.   Chad’s leadership has been key to PD Active’s impressive growth as we managed through the pandemic. Judi, who has served on the Board for almost 3 years, has lent her considerable experience in communications planning to upgrade our publications and social media platforms.  Have you noticed the professional look and feel of PD Active communiques and our new website? The Board is grateful for the talent that Judi and Chad bring to our enterprise and we thank them for their ongoing efforts on our behalf.

Save the Date

Your Chance to Speak Up Take the PD Active Survey It has been customary for PD Active to take stock of your needs and interests at our annual in-person Town Hall meetings. This year we will not be able to hold the in-person meeting and instead will use an online survey which will be emailed to all PD Active members in early May.  It is more important than ever for you to respond as we continue to develop a “hybrid” model that offers the best of online and in-person classes, support groups, forums and social activities. We need to know what worked well for you this past year and how we can improve. Your voice counts.

June Round Table Webinar Finding Your Voice with PD   Date: Tuesday, June 8 Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm   Ask the Experts Round Table panel led by:  Heather Kennedy and Sharon Krischer Heather Kennedy is the founder of Kathleen Kiddo, an advocacy site offering resources and connection through social media. An entertaining speaker known for her unique talks and film presentations about living with Parkinson’s, Heather writes from her home near San Francisco, CA. Since her diagnosis in 2011, she has collaborated with organizations such as the Davis Phinney Foundation, The Cure Parkinson's Trust and The World Parkinson's Congress. Sharon Krischer is an Internet influencer and operates her own blog called "Twitchy Woman, My Adventures with Parkinson's". You can read it at www.twitchywoman.com. Sharon earned her B.A. in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Michigan and later earned a masters in Audiology. A PD patient herself, currently living in Beverly Hills, Sharon has long advocated for women with Parkinson’s disease. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last March, Sharon created a Zoom program for women with Parkinson’s, Sunday Mornings with Twitchy Woman, that meets every other Sunday morning with a different speaker or activity of interest to women with PD at each meeting. She has also contributed content to Parkinsonsdisease.net and TheMighty.com.

Heather Kennedy Sharon Krischer Register Now You will receive a confirmation e-mail after registering. Contact us at info@pdactive.org or (510) 479-6119 if you need assistance.

PD Active depends on donations to bring programs like this to our members free of charge. We remain grateful for your contributions.

DONATE HERE

Classes & Programs

April Round Table Webinar Recording Available The Ask the Experts Round Table, "What to Know About the Legal and Some Insurance Issues Surrounding PD" with panelists were Deborah England (attorney specializing in labor law) and Brandie Sendziak (attorney specializing in SSD/SSDI) was held April 13th. Our attendees had lots of good questions for the panelists who both provided valuable information. That event can be viewed on the PD Active YouTube channel.

Stay Connected PD Active Support Groups Our support groups continue to be well attended and much appreciated by the community. It has been nearly a year and a half since the support groups began meeting virtually and we have been pleased to note that participation continues to grow.   Here is a list of all our support groups along with meeting times. Visit our website to learn more about each group and how to join.   General Support Group Thursdays 4:00pm – 5:30pm Description: The free weekly support group meetings are for people who have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease or Parkinsonism. Care Partners Support Group 3rd Wednesday of the month 2:30pm – 4:30pm Description: This gathering is a place for participants to speak frankly about concerns and challenges in caring for loved ones with moderate to advanced PD symptoms. Mild/Moderate Care Partners Support Group 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month 3:00pm – 5:00pm Description: The Care Partners Support group addresses the needs of partners who are caring for someone with mild to moderate symptoms. Young Onset & Young at Heart PD Group Every 2nd week alternating between Wednesdays 5:00pm – 6:00pm and Fridays 10:00am – 11:00am Description: This group is for you if you were diagnosed with PD in your early fifties or younger, or if you are simply young at heart with PD. Adult Children of People with Parkinson’s Last Monday of every month 7:00pm – 8:00pm Description: The group aims to create community for adult children of people with PD.

Check out the PD Active Monthly Calendar for listings of upcoming live-stream movement classes such as Tai Chi, Pilates, boxing, Yoga and singing.   For more information, contact programdirector@pdactive.org.

Thank you to our Recent Donors

Donors Elaine Binger Walter Day and Lydia Shih Christopher Flores Adam and Lauran Mizock Ilana Novak Donations In Honor Of  Judi Ettlinger – in honor of Lana Wilson Jay Schirmacher – in honor of Todd Morrish Network for Good/Facebook – in honor of Brooke Deputy PayPal Giving/GoFundMe – in honor of Todd Morrish Donations In Memory Of Daniel Jarmel – in memory of Lee J. Shapiro Cathy Quides – in memory of Ann van Steenberg Jana Reed – in memory of Coy and Lucille Byerly DONATE