NASHVILLE, TN —The Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation (DMKF) in partnership with the Tennessee Kidney Foundation (TKF) recently announced they will host a Lunch & Learn event Saturday, November 4, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. at the Southeast Community Center located 5260 Hickory Hollow Pkwy., UNIT 202, Antioch, TN 37013.
During National Diabetes Awareness Month, the two foundations will hold a panel discussion with some of the city’s leading medical experts to address issues around kidney disease which affects more than 37 million American people. In middle Tennessee alone, more than 5,000 people are on dialysis with a large number of these individuals being people of color.
“TKF is grateful to partner with the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation to advance our mutual goal of improved health for the community. This Lunch and Learn event provides a unique opportunity for anyone who hopes to gain more information about kidney health and to receive a free health screening so they can be armed with information on their health journey,” stated Heather Powell, CEO of the Tennessee Kidney Foundation.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 14 percent of US adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease. Moreover, as many as 9 out of 10 adults with kidney disease do not know they have it and the numbers continue to rise.
“We are excited to partner with the Tennessee Kidney Foundation, largely because diabetes and kidney disease are so closely related and affect large numbers of people of color. This is a passion we both share in improving the health conditions of people who struggle with these diseases,” stated Rhea Kinnard, president and founder of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation. “Education and awareness are the initial first steps in helping people understand and take charge of their health,” she added.
At the Lunch & Learn event, attendees can get a free lunch and listen to medical specialists share information about the kidneys- from how they work to how to prevent kidney disease and participate in a Q and A session with the experts. Additionally, attendees can get one of several health screenings that will be offered.
Established in 2012 to raise awareness with diabetes disparities, the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation is a partner with several organizations including the American Diabetes Association, JDRF, Tennessee Health Disparity Task Force, Meharry Medical College, and the NFL Tennessee Alumni Association. Sponsors for this year’s event include the Tennessee Kidney Foundation, The Surgical Clinic, and National Black Nurses Association among others.
Registration for the Lunch & Learn event is currently open, and participants can sign up at www.dmkf.org and click on the Lunch & Learn icon.
The mission of the Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation is to serve as a platform to raise awareness, spotlight problem-solving techniques, and implement actions in Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities to help them better understand and manage diabetes as well as help decrease the number of persons at risk of developing the disease among this unique group.
The Dorothy Marie Kinnard Foundation was established in 2012 in honor of the founder’s mother, Dorothy Marie Kinnard, who lost her battle to complications of Type II Diabetes on September 3, 2011. This led to a journey by the founder to better understand the disease and why it was affecting so many people in her family and in communities of color. Her discovery led to the foundation’s mission.
