ATLANTA – State Representative Karen Bennett (D-Stone Mountain) recently presented a special resolution to the national Alzheimer’s Association and the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church’s 6th Episcopal District of Georgia on Wednesday, November 10, 2021. Together, Rep. Bennett and the AME Church 6th district declared Sunday, November 14, 2021, as “Alzheimer’s Awareness Purple Sunday.”
“Bringing awareness to the disproportionate impact Alzheimer’s has on our community is the first step in supporting patients and caregivers,” said Rep. Bennett.
To bring greater awareness to resources, programs, care and support services for families impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementias, AME church members wore purple to church on November 14. Through “Purple Sunday,” Rep. Bennett and the AME Church seek to impact communities served by the church.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Alzheimer’s and dementia deaths have increased by 16 percent. The association also predicts that there are 150,000 Georgians living with Alzheimer’s and 330 unpaid caregivers for patients with this disease. African Americans are at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, yet elder African Americans are diagnosed less often than their white counterparts.
In addition to working as a professional and community advocate, Rep. Bennett is an ordained itinerant elder in the AME Church.
To learn more about the care and support services offered by the Alzheimer’s Association, visit www.alz.org/Georgia or call 800-272-3900.
Representative Karen Bennett represents the citizens of Districts 94, which includes portions of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2012 and currently serves on the Code Revision, Economic Development & Tourism, Health & Human Services and Regulated Industries committees.
###