On the Horizon: Our Goals for 2023

The start of a new year brings a world of opportunities. There is no better time to reflect on our mission as an organization and share with you the goals that will ultimately bring us closer to creating a more inclusive, optimistic, informed, and supportive Parkinson’s community.

Over the past several months, our team has been hard at work putting together a plan of action to rebuild the organization to better serve its members. A fresh start comes with its challenges, however, we are well equipped and ready to reposition GAPS to first and foremost serve the beloved members of the Parkinson community.

The GAPS Board of Directors and Executive Director, Jody Hamblett, have spent time reviewing our partnerships, operational needs, connecting with medical professionals and stakeholders including Dr. Kathleen Woschkolup at Bon Secours and Dr. Fredy Revilla at PRISMA, and spending time meeting with members of the Parkinson’s community. Jody has also been attending the atypical Parkinson’s Clinic with Dr. Revilla at PRISMA and will soon start attending the newly Diagnosed Parkinson’s clinic with Dr. Woschkolup at Bon Secours to better understand Parkinson’s Disease and the different effects it can have on patients at each stage of the Parkinson’s journey.

Hearing individual stories and experiences from Parkinson’s patients and caregivers during the clinic visits have provided our team with a new perspective on PD and how to properly serve the community. Jody has also met with new and veteran donors to foster donor relations and help increase our annual giving to fund GAPS programs, research, and more.

To begin to develop deeper relationships, we will be engaging with our members through regular communications, keeping you up to date on happenings within GAPS, Parkinson’s research, and programs and events within the community.

Although we didn’t intend to initially pause our GAPS programs, it has given us an opportunity to reevaluate and contemplate ways to rebuild them to ensure we are helping members as best as possible. In the coming weeks, you will be hearing more about GAPS in Motion, virtual and in-person support groups, Coffee Talks, and an increased amount of online Parkinson’s information and resources.

Going forward, the main focuses of GAPS will be community, awareness, advocacy, education, and ultimately, support. We hope you will share in our excitement about all of the new and positive developments that are happening for the organization.