MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MAY 2026

Parkinson’s Resource Organization is a small, independent nonprofit serving people with Parkinson’s and caregivers. That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to those of you who have followed us for a while.

We’re definitely small – with a staff of two full-time and two part-time employees, we’re a tiny but mighty team supported by some of the best volunteers, board members, and contractors around. We work really hard to pull off 20+ monthly support groups, regular special events, a mostly-monthly podcast, and the daily operations of a small business.

We’re also independent – we aren’t a chapter of (or protected by) a large national organization. We guide our own vision, raise our own funds, and run our own programs. We make decisions based on our instincts, the needs expressed by our community, and in response to the constantly shifting landscape of Parkinson’s care. We’re nimble, we’re passionate, and we’re thrifty.

And…being small and independent, we’re also highly collaborative (I’m getting to the point, I promise).

Coming off the heels of a powerful Parkinson’s Awareness Month – and a really busy few months for PRO – I’m thinking about how deeply PRO’s accomplishments are rooted in building positive connections with intelligent partners in the healthcare world.

PRO’s support groups have grown 38% in the last two years – this is a direct result of collaborations with facilitators like Brain Health Gerontologist Kelly Willenborg and community centers like The Mizell Senior Center, The Center for Healthy Generations, and the Portola Community Center.

Our Parkinson’s Today Symposium launched two years ago and grew exponentially between year one and two – this is a direct result of a landmark partnership between PRO and The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) and community support from Eisenhower Health Center, Desert Care Network, and Desert Oasis Healthcare (DOHC).

This past month, I got to travel to Sacramento for Parkinson’s Advocacy Day. Together with other professionals and advocates, we met with legislators, talked about the lived impact of Parkinson’s, and shared information about a few pieces of legislation geared towards research and senior care.

My advocacy partner for the day was a young mother, Julie, with a Black daughter. She shared that, at its worst, her tremor prevented her from washing and braiding her daughter’s hair, exposing her to school bullying. Together, we made a great team. As the ‘pro,’ I rattled off facts and figures to paint the big picture. As the ‘human,’ Julie brought it back to the daily fight to lead a dignified life with Parkinson’s. A powerful team.

I also got to meet leaders of other small, independent nonprofits similarly reliant on flexibility, thrift, and passion to get things done – organizations like Parkinson’s Association of San Diego (PASD) and Parkinson’s Center of Los Angeles (PCLA). We brainstormed and commiserated and left with a renewed commitment to sharing expertise in order to serve our community better.

This past month – this whole year – has been defined by expansion and connection. None of this happens in isolation. It happens because people show up, share their expertise, lend their voices, and work together toward something bigger than any one of us.

We’re a small, independent nonprofit. We have the great privilege of collaborating with the Kellys, the Julies, the PASDs, the MJFFs, and the DOHCs of the world. Whichever one you are, thank you. You make this work fun. You make this work powerful. You make this work work.

Now read on for UNDERSTANDING FREEZING IN ADVANCED PARKINSON’S, FOUR ESTATE PLANNING MYTHS THAT COULD COST YOUR FAMILY, A NEW PATH FORWARD: EMERGING THERAPY MAY DELAY LEVODOPA IN EARLY PARKINSON’S, CAREGIVER STATISTICS: A DATA PORTRAIT OF FAMILY CAREGIVING, ULTRA-PROCESSED FOODS MAY RAISE PARKINSON'S DISEASE RISK, NEW RESEARCH SHOWS, PRO OUT AND ABOUT: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, MEET THE PRO TEAM.

Eileen Lynch

Executive Director