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Date: | Thu, 7 Sep 2006 23:09:15 EDT |
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<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
We have worked hard to raise celiac awareness in our small city of about
60,000. Our latest project was to have a booth at the county fair for a week.
I must tell you that it was a great success. We were fortunate in that we
had someone footing the bill for the booth, but we paid for our own brochures
to hand out. We had our huge banner up with all the symptoms listed. It
stops people in their tracks. We connected with so many people, either those
with the symptoms listed, or some who were just tested or diagnosed with CD.
We handed out samples of Bob's Red Mill cereal, Pamela's cookies, Enjoy
Life cookies, etc.
We felt we educated quite a few people. The volunteers who manned the table
really enjoyed it, and at first they were worried that they weren't educated
enough. We told them just having the disease is education enough to talk
about it.
It was sad to see the week come to an end, but we were also tired. It was
an effort that paid off. Last year we did just one day and were swamped, so we
knew we would make an impact doing a week there.
Everyone out there can do their part. Call your local newspapers and ask
them to write a story in your area. Or call the local radio station. Usually
the AM channels have morning talk shows. Do a health fair. We also do a
GF day at our local hospital once a year, setting up in the cafeteria and
giving out celiac information. The chef even prepares GF items.
There are so many ways to make this disease a household word. We just need
to keep working at it. We are definitely making progress. I see it in our
local doctors now who aer actually testing for it, where five years ago they
didn't. But of course we still have some who think they can diagnose a person
by just looking at them....or rather tell them they DON"T have it just by
looking at them. Remember....... Persistence pays off!!
Bev Messner
Richland County Celiac Support Group
Mansfield, OH
Visit the Celiac Web Page at Http://www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html
Archives are at: Http://Listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?LIST=CELIAC
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