Leslie Gregory, CEO of the Georgia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, sat down with Jabian to discuss their Impact10 $10,000 grant.
How did you get involved with the Alzheimer’s Association?
I’ve been with them for about eight years. My association originally began with Lewy Body Dementia, which is associated with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s – a disease very near and dear to my heart. Two years ago my mother-in-law was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s so it’s been great to feel like I’m making a difference in helping to fight diseases that have affected my loved ones.
I started my career in nonprofits, working at the Red Cross for 15 years and then with Easter Seal Society, which helps people with disabilities and special needs. I have a background in business – a bachelor’s in Marketing and an MBA – but I always knew moving forward that I wanted to do something that would have an impact on people’s lives.
What is the Docs and Desserts program?
The Docs and Desserts program started ten years ago and came out of need for families to have more face-time with doctors. During regular doctor visits, time with the physician can be very limited and doesn’t always leave time for questions about the disease and new research being done. The program gives families time to ask those questions. There are no bad or wrong questions in dealing with the disease and we try to provide an environment in which family members feel comfortable to ask those questions. It really gives them quality time with a doctor they might not normally get.
How do the doctors get involved in the program?
We usually reach out to doctors we have close relationships with who are located across the state. We focus on finding physicians who can present the information in layman’s terms and have a relaxed demeanor to help family members and patients feel comfortable to ask any kind of question.
The program is being revived with the Impact10 grant from Jabian Cares. Why did it drop off several years ago?
Funding – plain and simple. But, families really wanted it back so when Jabian Cares approached us with the opportunity to put a $10,000 grant toward a project, we knew it would be Docs and Desserts.
If someone would like to donate to the program, how would they do that?
The Alzheimer’s Association Georgia Chapter honors donor requests for funds to go to a specific program, but encourages people to make an unrestricted donation. However, if someone really wanted to donate specifically to this program, we would certainly honor that.https://www.alz.org/join_the_cause_donate.asp
What’s next on the wish list for the Georgia Chapter?
We would love to expand the program and do it in more places. The program serves multiple purposes by providing family members with knowledge, as well as giving those with the disease an opportunity to get engaged in clinical trials and become aware of new research and discoveries.
We’re on our way in learning how to deal with it, but there’s no cure or treatment to stop it currently. We’re discovering new biomarkers that are early indicators of the disease, allowing us to get ahead of it.
Aside from donations, how can people get involved?
We’re always looking for volunteers at each of our seven offices across the state! The only way to serve all of the people who need us is to have more volunteers.Alz.org/Georgia lists all of the events we have coming up and information regarding support and educational groups.