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Victory!
A
n enormous thank you to all our 5,000+
advocates for their unyielding efforts to get
the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA)
signed into law.
Alzheimer advocates were instrumental in moving
NAPA through congress. More than 50,000 e-mails,
nearly 10,000 phone calls and more than 1,000 meetings
by the Alzheimer’s Association and its advocates led
us to the historic legislative victory for the Alzheimer
community. Following its unanimous approval in the
Senate and the House, NAPA will create a National
strategic plan to address and overcome the rapidly
escalating crisis of Alzheimer’s in the United States.
To follow the progress of NAPA’s Strategic Plan, visit: www.friendsofnapa.org
Alzheimer Ambassadors:
Taking Advocacy to the Next Level
T
he passing of NAPA marked the beginning of a
new movement in the fight against Alzheimer’s
disease. To continue the momentum and to
ensure Congress keeps Alzheimer’s on their agenda, the
Alzheimer’s Association has developed a program to
train one advocate per Congressional district to become
Alzheimer Ambassadors. The role of the ambassador is to
develop a relationship with their assigned Congressional
district office so that eventually every member of
Congress will have an ambassador reminding them of
the impact of this disease on their constituents. The
ambassadors become an extension of our staff, helping
expand outreach in ways that the Chapter cannot do on
its own. The facts and figures of this disease are staggering
and they speak for themselves. What the facts and figures
cannot do, the Ambassadors do. They tell their stories.
To date, The New York City Chapter has four talented
ambassadors that are part of the seventy-five nationwide.
Every month, ambassadors sit in on calls with our
Public Policy staff to learn new ways to approach their
representative and stay up to date with what is happening
on The Hill. They also hear from guest speakers
discussing the mission of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Ambassadors participate in webinar trainings throughout
the year and meet in person at the Annual Advocacy
Forum in Washington, D.C. — arriving a day early to
receive special training and a chance to meet with their
fellow ambassadors.
With a limited number of Congressional districts
available for ambassadors, our advocates still play a huge
roll in our success. The passing of NAPA is a great
example of how a little bit of effort from a large group
of people can have an enormous impact on the future
of Alzheimer’s disease. We thank our current advocates
for all of their hard work in the passage of NAPA and
urge those of you who have yet to sign up to become
an advocate to do so. We all want to see a world without
Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Association will work every
day until this happens, but we can’t do it alone. There are
millions of people in this country with a connection to
this disease. Now is the time for all of us to join together
in one voice and demand that Congress gives Alzheimer’s
disease the attention it deserves.
If you or someone you know would like to become an
Alzheimer Advocate and/or Ambassador, please contact
Christina Keller (646.744.2928 or ckeller@alznyc.org)
or visit www.alznyc.org/advocate to find out more.
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