There's a great new nonprofit in Lancaster County that's been founded by Neffsville resident Greta Myers. It's called "Neuro Neighborhood."

"We used 'neighborhood' to give people a welcoming invitation to something bigger than themselves," said Myers, who also serves as executive director of the organization. "Neighborhoods contain people who come together to support one another. We all know how important it is to have a support system, and we felt that use of the title 'neighborhood' would exemplify our support.

"Our goal is to continue to get the word out so we can reach as many people as possible," continued Myers. "The more people who know about the Neuro Neighborhood, the more people we can support."

Founded in March of 2025, Neuro Neighborhood is an all-volunteer organization designed to help people dealing with neurological conditions like Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. Those neurological conditions can occur through injury or a deterioration of the central nervous system, which includes our brains and spinal cords.

For now, Myers is operating Neuro Neighborhood out of her residence.

"Spinal cord injuries or brain injuries can be caused by traumatic events to either area of our central nervous system, or lack of blood flow to that area," said Myers. "Symptoms widely vary between neurological conditions including movement, sensory and cognitive changes. Cognitive changes can include difficulty with memory, sequencing or planning. Some movement symptoms can include increased tone and reflexes in muscles, difficulty initiating movement and weakness affecting many muscle groups.

"Speech and breathing can be impacted as well, because both of these actions are controlled by our muscles," she added. "Keep in mind that these symptoms are based in neurology; it is not as simple as going to the gym to get stronger. Recovery from these types of muscle changes must include what we call neuroplasticity to help improve these symptoms or be creative to find compensatory strategies to allow full participation in life."

One of Neuro Neighborhood's most effective weapons in the fight against neurological disorders is activity or group activities.

Among the community events that Neuro Neighborhood sponsors and conducts are regular Red Rose Parkinson's Support Group meetings, the next one of which will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at CrushPD Fitness, 3545 Marietta Ave., Lancaster; Adaptive Recreation Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26, at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 10 Delp Road, Lancaster; and periodic Neuro Caregiver Support Group meetings at Wellness Merge Physical Therapy, 903 Nissley Road, Lancaster. All of those activities are free to attend, and some require preregistration at http://www.neuroneighborhood.org.

"We want people to know neurological conditions can happen to anyone, and if you or a loved one is diagnosed, there are people who want to help you navigate the challenges that you may be facing and support you in living a fulfilling life," said Myers, a graduate of Warwick High School, who has a background in physical therapy. "We do not want people to isolate themselves or fear doing things based on a diagnosis. We encourage you to reach out to our specialized support, because, with (the) right support, you can thrive. In some of our most challenging times in life, we all need a neighborhood to count on."

Overseen by a five-person board of directors, Neuro Neighborhood serves about 200 individuals, mainly adults from Lancaster County and surrounding areas. Currently situated in the initial phase of its planned growth process, Neuro Neighborhood's future goals include adding physical therapy services, incorporating a multidisciplinary team, locating a physical office space, adding wellness programming and partnering with similar organizations in the community.

"As I continued to study to become a board-certified Neurological Clinical Specialist, I also began searching for more community resources for my patients," said Myers. "Unfortunately, I had trouble finding the types of resources and support that my patients were looking for, so I started writing those ideas down as a list. Then I did research and connected with other organizations around the country that were trying to incorporate a better continuum of care and support for adults with neurological conditions. My list continued to grow, and I found others who wanted to help me make that list a reality. Thus, we created Neuro Neighborhood."