FRIENDSHIP THAT GIVES

ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY. EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES. TRANSFORMING LIVES.

Friendship That Gives is a culturally responsive health-equity and patient-advocacy organization educating, connecting, and empowering individuals, caregivers, and families affected by Amyloidosis, Parkinson’s disease, chronic illness, and mental wellness challenges—particularly within Black and historically underserved communities.

Through trusted health education, community conversations, patient and caregiver advocacy, strategic partnerships, and culturally relevant programming, we help people become informed, supported, and prepared to advocate for better health outcomes.

YOU DESERVE TO BE SEEN, HEARD, INFORMED, AND SUPPORTED.

A serious or chronic health condition affects more than the body. It can influence a person’s emotional wellness, relationships, faith, finances, career, and sense of identity. Caregivers and families are also required to navigate complicated healthcare systems, changing responsibilities, and difficult decisions—often without adequate information or support.

These challenges can be even greater in Black and historically underserved communities, where delayed diagnoses, unequal access to specialists, limited representation in clinical research, financial barriers, and mistrust of healthcare systems can negatively affect outcomes.

Friendship That Gives exists to help close those gaps.

We bring patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, pharmacists, faith leaders, civic organizations, corporations, and community advocates together to turn education into action. Our goal is not simply to raise awareness. We equip people with information, connections, and practical tools that help them participate confidently in their healthcare journeys.

SUPPORTING PEOPLE THROUGH EVERY SEASON OF THE HEALTH JOURNEY

Whether you are seeking answers, caring for someone you love, looking for community resources, or searching for a meaningful way to create impact, Friendship That Gives welcomes you.

PATIENTS AND INDIVIDUALS

Access trusted educational information, prepare for conversations with your care team, learn how to advocate for yourself, and connect with supportive resources.

CAREGIVERS AND FAMILIES

Find encouragement, educational tools, caregiver-centered conversations, and community connections that recognize the physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual realities of caregiving.

HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS

Collaborate with us to deliver culturally responsive education, improve community engagement, support earlier diagnosis, and strengthen trust between healthcare systems and underserved communities.

FAITH, CIVIC, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Bring relevant health education directly to the communities you serve through workshops, panel discussions, screenings, advocacy initiatives, and the Fashionably Healthy Community Conversations Empowerment Series.

CORPORATIONS AND FOUNDATIONS

Support measurable community impact through sponsorships, employee engagement, program investment, in-kind contributions, matching gifts, and strategic partnerships.

EDUCATION THAT LEADS TO ADVOCACY AND ACTION

AMYLOIDOSIS AWARENESS

Amyloidosis is a group of diseases involving abnormal protein deposits that can affect the heart, kidneys, nerves, liver, digestive system, and other organs. Some forms can be hereditary and may disproportionately affect people of African ancestry.

We promote greater awareness, informed conversations with healthcare professionals, appropriate referrals, patient advocacy, and the importance of representation in research.

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Parkinson’s disease can affect movement, speech, sleep, mental wellness, and many other aspects of daily life. Black patients may experience delayed recognition, barriers to specialty care, and lower participation in clinical research.

We help communities recognize concerns that should be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional while connecting patients and caregivers with educational and supportive resources.

CAREGIVING

Caregivers are often the unseen foundation of a family’s healthcare journey. We center caregiver voices and address emotional wellness, role reversal, communication with care teams, respite, resource navigation, and the importance of building a dependable village.

MENTAL WELLNESS AND CHRONIC ILLNESS

Living with or caring for someone with a chronic or rare illness can create stress, anxiety, grief, isolation, and emotional exhaustion. Seeking support is an act of strength.

We create culturally responsive spaces where individuals and families can discuss mental wellness without shame and connect with qualified support.

HEALTH EQUITY AND PATIENT ADVOCACY

Everyone deserves to receive respectful, informed, and compassionate healthcare. We teach individuals how to prepare for appointments, describe symptoms clearly, ask questions, understand options, seek additional opinions when appropriate, and participate actively in decisions about their health.

FASHIONABLY HEALTHY COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS EMPOWERMENT SERIES

WHERE HEALTH, CULTURE, COMMUNITY, AND ADVOCACY CONNECT

The Fashionably Healthy Community Conversations Empowerment Series brings trusted health information into accessible, culturally familiar community spaces.

Our conversations unite patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, pharmacists, researchers, mental wellness professionals, faith leaders, civic organizations, and corporate partners for meaningful discussions about the health concerns affecting our communities.

Each experience is designed to move participants from awareness to informed action.

Programs may include:

Amyloidosis and Parkinson’s disease awareness
Chronic and rare disease education
Caregiver health and emotional wellness
Mental health and stigma reduction
Patient advocacy and communicating with clinicians
Health equity and culturally responsive care
Clinical research participation and representation
Nutrition, movement, prevention, and whole-person wellness
Community resource navigation

Upcoming Events

New programming is coming soon

Friendship That Gives is developing new health education, patient advocacy, caregiver support, and community engagement experiences. Join our email community to receive event announcements, health resources, and opportunities to participate.

PURPOSE MEASURED THROUGH PEOPLE, PARTNERSHIPS, AND PROGRESS

Since 2024, Friendship That Gives has expanded its impact through direct community programming, health education, advocacy campaigns, strategic partnerships, and media outreach.

42,306

DIRECT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

42,306

Patients, caregivers, and families connected with education or resources

4

Community programs and advocacy initiatives

26

Healthcare, faith, civic, and community partners

80+MILLION

Estimated media and public-awareness reach, globally

IL · FL · NC · PA UK · KENYA

CITIES, STATES, OR COUNTRIES REACHED

Impact Measurement Note: Friendship That Gives distinguishes direct program participation and resource distribution from estimated media and public-awareness reach. Our reported figures are based on program records, partner reports, distribution data, publication readership, broadcast reach, and digital engagement measurements.

TURNING PERSONAL EXPERIENCE INTO COMMUNITY PURPOSE

Friendship That Gives was born from a deeply personal journey.

As I watched my mother live with Parkinson’s disease and my father battle Amyloidosis, I witnessed how chronic and rare illnesses affect not only patients but also caregivers, families, relationships, faith, finances, and emotional wellness.

I also came to understand how health disparities and systemic barriers can make timely diagnosis, specialty care, and effective treatment more difficult — particularly for Black families and underserved communities.

I could not remain silent.

Friendship That Gives was created to honor my parents’ legacy and help ensure that individuals and families do not have to navigate serious health challenges in isolation. We are building informed and empowered communities while advocating for inclusive research, culturally responsive healthcare, and better outcome

To every patient, caregiver, and family: You are not alone. We see you. We honor your journey. We stand with you.

Jonathan L. Dotson

Founder and Executive Director, Friendship That Gives

Brian Suiter

Brian Suiter brings experience in healthcare, outreach, and business relationship development to the Board of Directors of Friendship That Gives. His professional background includes serving as a Senior Enterprise Account Executive with Accuris, where his work centers on understanding organizational needs and developing client relationships.

Brian’s healthcare and outreach experience aligns with FTG’s commitment to education, advocacy, and community connection. As a board member, he will help advance the organization’s mission to raise awareness of amyloidosis and Parkinson’s disease while supporting caregivers and promoting mental wellness.

Through strategic guidance and relationship building, Brian will support FTG’s efforts to expand partnerships, reach underserved communities, and connect individuals and families with information and support. His service reflects a shared belief that informed, engaged communities can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those navigating rare and chronic illnesses.

KNOWLEDGE CAN CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF A HEALTH JOURNEY.

Explore educational information designed to help patients, caregivers, and families have more informed conversations with qualified healthcare professionals.

Understanding Amyloidosis
Understanding Parkinson’s Disease
Preparing for a Medical Appointment
Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider
The Role of a Proactive Pharmacist
Building an Engaged Care Team
Mental Wellness While Living With Chronic Illness
Creating a Caregiver Support Village
Understanding Clinical Research and Representation
Finding Community and Patient-Advocacy Resources

Medical Information Disclaimer

The information provided by Friendship That Gives is intended for general educational and advocacy purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not replace consultation, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed healthcare professional. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking care because of information presented on this website. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency service.

Each medical resource includes

CHANGE HAPPENS WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.

Our impact is strengthened by healthcare organizations, patient-advocacy groups, researchers, faith communities, civic organizations, educational institutions, foundations, corporations, volunteers, and people with lived experience.

Our partners help us

VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY

Patients, caregivers, clinicians, and partners describe what it means to be informed, supported, and heard.

I arrived looking for information and left feeling informed, encouraged, and empowered.

Friendship That Gives creates the kinds of trusted health conversations our communities urgently need.

For the first time in a long time, I felt that someone truly understood the caregiver’s journey.

This is more than community programming—it is education transformed into advocacy and action.

EDUCATING COMMUNITIES. ELEVATING VOICES. INFLUENCING CHANGE.

Friendship That Gives uses public education, patient storytelling, opinion writing, media engagement, and strategic collaboration to bring greater attention to health disparities affecting Black and historically underserved communities.

Parkinson’s disease and the silent burden on Black families

Dear Editor, April marks Parkinson’s disease Awareness Month, yet within many Black communities, this condition remains under-recognised, under-discussed and far too often diagnosed too late. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects movement, coordination and, over time, cognitive and emotional well-being. While it impacts individuals across all backgrounds,

OP-ED: Equity in Health Care Is Not Optional—It Is Essential for the Black Community

OP-ED: Equity in Health Care Is Not Optional—It Is Essential for the Black Community By Jonathan L Dotson. Executive Director at Friendship That Gives In the United States—one of the wealthiest nations in the world—your health outcomes should not be determined by your zip code, your income, or the

OP-ED: The Silent Crisis in Our Community — Why Amyloidosis Awareness Matters Now

March is recognized as Amyloidosis Awareness Month, yet for many in the Black community, this disease remains largely unknown—until it is too late. Amyloidosis is a rare but serious condition caused by abnormal protein deposits that can damage vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. While it

THERE IS A PLACE FOR YOU IN THIS MOVEMENT.

You can help Friendship That Gives expand access to trusted health education, strengthen patient and caregiver advocacy, and create healthier, more informed communities.

DONATE

Support culturally responsive education, caregiver engagement, patient advocacy, and community programming.

VOLUNTEER

Contribute your time, skills, professional knowledge, or community connections.

HOST A PROGRAM

Bring a Fashionably Healthy Community Conversation to your church, organization, healthcare facility, campus, workplace, or community.

BECOME A SPONSOR

Invest in measurable community impact through event, series, or annual organizational sponsorship.

VIEW SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Help ensure that programs and policies reflect the lived experiences of patients and caregivers.

$25

helps provide educational resources to patients or caregivers.

$50

helps support community-resource and advocacy materials.

$100

helps expand a health-education or caregiver-support experience.

$250

helps support a community conversation or patient-advocacy initiative.

$500

or more helps underwrite speakers, clinical educators, program accessibility, outreach, or resource distribution.

Donation examples should be adjusted to reflect FTG’s actual program expenses. Include “Gifts will be used where most needed unless a restricted purpose is accepted by the organization.”

Your generosity helps education become empowerment.

Every contribution helps Friendship That Gives create culturally responsive programming, distribute educational resources, elevate patient and caregiver voices, and connect communities with information that can lead to better health conversations and outcomes.