Dear Friends:
 At this year’s Memory Walk, the outpouring of gratitude from the Alzheimer’s Community
was truly overwhelming. At each step along the way, caregivers and walkers with Alzheimer’s
disease told me personal stories about how the New York City Chapter helped them through
difficult times.
Our dedicated professionals do so much for so many. And whether you are the president of
a major corporation, the senior partner of an international law firm, a full-time housewife, a
New York City teacher, a student or are unemployed, our services—support groups, 24-hour
Helpline, education and training programs—are all free.
By now, we know that experts predict an explosion in the number of people who will be
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in the near future. If this number grows at the rate of only one or
two percent a year, an additional 25,000 to 50,000 New Yorkers will need our services—and
very soon. If we cannot provide the diversity and quality of programming that the community
requires and relies on, the domino effect will have dreadful consequences.
For instance, caregivers with no access to qualified home care would feel compelled
to move their family members into nursing homes—placing onerous burdens
on a healthcare system already on the brink. Adult children whose parents are
affected by Alzheimer’s disease will have to quit their jobs in order to stay home and
provide round-the-clock care—with devastating impact to the economy. Those
without financial resources would have no place to turn for help. And the search for
a cure would grind to a halt.
It’s a grim picture, and without your continued support, it could become a reality.
I hope you know that it is your contributions that make the difference in many lives.
By supporting the Chapter, you’re ensuring that someone is always there to answer
our 24-hour Helpline,whether the call for help comes at noon or at midnight. Your
gifts support the Alzheimer’s Association Safe Return® program—helping wanderers
return to their families quickly and without harm. The community relies on your help to keep
programs like these available and to grow them to meet rapidly growing needs.
In this, the season of giving, we hope you will continue your generous support. So much
depends on it. Please click here for our annual Year-End Appeal letter.
As 2007 comes to an end, our calendar continues to fill up with exciting and important
events. In December, the Chapter will launch our first Conference for Nursing Home Staff,
focused on the special care our clients require. I hope to see many of you at our Early Stage
Memory Disorders Forum in the Spring. And, once again, we will convene an Interfaith
Conference for clergy—helping them understand how their ministries can provide invaluable
comfort and courage.
From all of us at the New York City Chapter, I wish you peace and joy this holiday season.
We live in hope for the day when Alzheimer’s is just a memory.
— Lou-Ellen Barkan
President & CEO
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