The Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation Makes a Multi-Million Dollar Investment into MS Research and Services
"Research is ultimately going to solve the problem – eliminating the root cause, or how to best live with it so that MS has the minimum impact on someone’s life."
- Mr. Jamey Power, Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation
Julie Power was a vivacious, strong-willed woman who raised four kids and supported the growth of an up-and-coming company with her husband, J. David Power. Ultimately, she became the matriarch of J.D. Power and Associates, a corporation that created a powerful way for industries to hear what customers felt about quality and customer service.
Julie was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in 1980 when she was 42 years old. At that time, the only treatment for MS was prednisone and rest. Eventually, relapses took more independence from her and she passed away suddenly in 2002.
This loss of their mother to MS left a profound impact on her family members and ultimately led them to support the MS movement.
When they sold their business in 2005, the Power family created the Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation as a way to share their success philanthropically with causes that were important to them, including the National MS Society. Since that time, the Power family has made several multi-million transformational grants in support of MS research and services. The family has recently made their largest gift to date with an incredible $3.1 million investment to keep funding and attracting the best and brightest minds to the field of MS research. The cure for MS will come from the mind and work of a brilliant scientist. The Society has helped launch the careers of nearly 1000 fellows since this program launched. The Power family is proud to support the fellowship awards for MS researchers and clinicians as well as funding support of the MS Navigator program with this current grant.

Julie Power with her granddaughter, Laura
“Rather than contributing to a specific MS research program, we decided that we’d have a bigger impact by making a grant to address the pipeline of talented MS research and clinical professionals,” says Jamey. “Let’s invest in making sure that we have the dedicated, talented people who are focused on MS every day. That’s what gets our family excited!”
The Fellowship awards will provide funding to enable bright individuals to gain advanced MS research training. This support early in their careers will allow upcoming clinicians and researchers to follow the paths that have the best chance of moving us closer to a world free of MS.
The Power family have also chosen to invest in the MS Navigator program, which helps those affected by MS to navigate the challenges of living with the disease. Not unlike the values on which they made their family’s company successful, they were attracted to the forward thinking and innovative approach of MS Navigator.
“There is such a complex web of issues that people with MS face,” says Jamey. “From medical, to insurance, to financial, to lifestyle, to information, and on and on. MS Navigator provides a high level of service with compassion.”
In Jamey’s view, philanthropy like his family and others have shown is vital to the progress being made in the MS movement. He doesn’t believe that we can expect government, academic institutions, or corporations to be leading the efforts in the fight against MS, because of how many other distractions and priorities exist. He feels that it’s critical for people who have been impacted by MS to ensure that money is being dedicated to the effort.
“My family members and I have a profound and deep confidence in the Society’s leadership and the momentum they have gained,” says Jamey. “The outlook continues to get better and better because of their work.”
We thank the Power family and Kenrose Kitchen Table Foundation for the lasting impact they are making in the lives of people with MS and in the careers of those who want to end MS forever. Your gift will also make a lasting impact in the lives of people living with MS, by providing life-changing support and helping young researchers to search for answers about this unpredictable and harsh disease. Your support is more critical than ever, so if you can help please give at
https://ntlms.org/Give.