MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JULY 2026

This is a month of significant transition for Parkinson’s Resource Organization. We’re “going dark” for the month to focus on our office move – a physically daunting project that will land us in a better space to run our programs and responsibly steward our finances. We’ve been looking forward to this moment, and we can’t wait to join the neighborhood of nonprofits that cohabit our new building with us. 

But – moves bring up a lot of emotions. PRO is sifting through 35 years of history as we make decisions about what to carry with us to our new space. Some decisions are easy; broken gadgets can be tossed, old art materials can be donated, office furniture will move with us. Some decisions get complicated; I found a box of old newsletters from the 90’s. Branded notepads from when PRO was COPS (Children of Parkinsonians). Brittle and yellowed notes from support groups two decades old. 

The historian in me (that’s what I studied in college) wants to lose myself in the history of it all. The realist knows we’re reducing our square footage, and digital preservation methods exist for a reason. Still, making such tangible physical contact with PRO’s past is beautiful. So many lives have passed through our proverbial walls, so many families have shared and laughed and grieved with us. 

So much about how we understand Parkinson’s has changed since PRO’s early days. Treatments, therapies, and life expectancies have evolved. It’s a helpful reminder to stay relentlessly curious and relentlessly compassionate. And – relentlessly flexible. If change is the only constant, we must constantly prepare ourselves for change. 

There’s excitement in that constant, and opportunity. So far in our move, we’ve been able to donate items to other nonprofits focused on connecting children with mentors, reducing isolation in seniors, advancing music education in public schools, and training special needs folks for the workforce. Perhaps most exciting – some old cell phones have found their way to the Gobi Desert through the Mongolian Conservation Initiative. It’s exciting to partner with so many amazing local and global organizations working to improve our human experience in one way or another. 

So – we’ll be quiet this month. Our support groups are paused until August (and we’ll MISS YOU!). In place of a full new newsletter, you’ll have to accept this brief message (and check out previous month’s articles at parkinsonsresource.org/news). There’s a new podcast episode on YouTube about Parkinson’s pain, and you can also find recordings of previous Chair Yoga and Movement classes to keep you limber. Our phone lines are still open, but our office is closed. 

We’ll see you on the other side, with exciting updates, plenty of news to share, and a fresh perspective. As parting words I’ll simply remind you to STAY HYDRATED under our relentless summer sun, stay connected with us and with others, and stay flexible. All things change, but our mission remains the same – working so no one is isolated because of Parkinson’s. 

Gratefully,

Eileen Lynch

Executive Director