Our outreach effort to communities within the African-American population has been launched and enthusiastically received. Since the last newsletter we have spoken to a group of seniors at the Kennedy Center in Harlem. We had the opportunity to speak at the annual meeting of Key Women of America. This group represents a “best kept secret.” They are an African-American volunteer group, formed thirty-five years ago, in Concourse village in the Bronx. The group has expanded to the five boroughs and has a chapter in Bermuda.

Included in their volunteer programs is an annual drive for delivery of Thanksgiving baskets, a book drive for children and fund raising for scholarships for college bound students. Their members were very responsive to the NYC Chapter’s information, and following the presentation, several of the members related their stories of having cared for relatives who had dementia.

Abyssinian Baptist Church has a strong historical presence and relevance in the Harlem Community. The former pastors, Adam Clayton Powell Sr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and Reverend Samuel Dewitt Proctor, and the present pastor, Calvin O. Butts III, have provided dynamic leadership to this vibrant church community. The Alzheimer’s Association, NYC Chapter is invested in forging a relationship with the church community by offering educational meetings to include topics related to memory disorders and dementia. We will provide these meetings following Sunday worship services. New support groups began in May. Mrs. Butts, Abyssinian’s first lady, is the Chair of the Health Ministry and was instrumental in assisting us. Sheila Boston, the chair of ministries at Abyssinian, facilitated our introduction to Mrs. Butts.

Wendy Panken, Manager of Support Groups, and I attended a Sunday morning service at Abyssinian Baptist Church. The service was powerful and enriching. Reverend Butts spoke about the devastating impact of ignorance; in the talk that followed we were able to appeal to our audience of perhaps sixty people, by building on the minister’s remarks, not to allow ignorance to keep them making use of the many services available through the NYC Chapter. The warm and appreciative response to our talk was validating and fulfilling. We fielded many questions which ranged from personal concerns about seeking proper diagnoses to more general inquiries about the formation of resources for Alzheimer’s disease in the Caribbean.

The African-American population is at greater risk for Alzheimer’s disease according to a study by the Alzheimer’s Association – A Silent Epidemic. Age is a key risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease in all racial and ethnic groups. Over 10% of all persons over 65 and nearly half of those over 85 have Alzheimers disease. The number of African- Americans age 65 and over will more than double by 2030, from 2.7 million in 1995 to 6.9 million by 2030. These are compelling statistics. The NYC Chapter is committed to reaching the underserved in this and all communities who need our comprehensive services. Our objective is to provide and enhance care and support for all who are affected by this dreadful disease.

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