We are into week two of  National Celiac Disease Awareness Month– and it is the perfect time to get out, get busy and give back. It is part of an occasional series this month on The Savvy Celiac.  Last week we focused on donating gluten free food to food banks. This week I am focusing on donating your resources to celiac causes– both in time and finances.

Volunteering your Time for Celiac Awareness

One way to give back is to volunteer your time to the cause.  This could be by helping out at a local conference, food fair or support group.  You could also come up with your own fundraiser or way to donate your time, by checking out the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness.

In Canada, the Vancouver Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association has an area where you can inquire about volunteering for their events– including jobs as coordinators and committee members.

Even the National Institutes for Health highlighted some of the top organizations to connect with for volunteering.

If you’re looking for a specific area to just do a quick Google search of “Celiac (your city) volunteer” and you hopefully will get some results.

Dedicating Financial Resources to Celiac

This one can be more difficult especially given the economy at this time.  But there are ways you can donate and there are ways you can organize a donation effort.

The University of Chicago’s Celiac Disease Center has a program called Going the Distance where you can do whatever event you want and raise money for the research center.

The 2011 Gluten Free Labeling Summit is still looking for donations to help cover costs for their event last week. You can find out more about how it all went  in an article from last week.  This single event kick-started the Food and Drug Administration’s effort to finalize the gluten-free labeling plan required by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.

Do both!

Or you can take care of both by learning more about the celiac fundraisers for the University of Maryland Baltimore also known as the 10th Annual Walk/Run for Celiac Disease.  I am sure all of them need volunteers and would appreciate donations during their events this month.  You can find out more about that at celiacwalk.org.

If you’re in the Twin Cities Area, I know we need volunteers and are asking for donations.  You can learn much more about our local event at twincitiesceliacwalk.org. The date is Saturday, May 21st.

Now is the time to take advantage of the opportunities that are available.  We hope it will be a meaningful  and fun experience.

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One Response to “The Gluten Free Give Back: Donating Your Resources”

  1. Amy – thanks so much for highlighting these worthy causes!

    We are also encouraging everyone to go to http://1in133.org/index.php to sign the petition and write letters to the FDA and Congress, encouraging them to move quickly on gluten-free food labeling regulations. We also have a FB Causes page which raises money from corporate sponsors for the American Celiac Disease Alliance: http://www.causes.com/causes/594496

    Also, I am walking in the University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research’s Making Tracks for Celiacs on May 22 in Baltimore. Anyone who would like to join me, or to make a donation, can do so here: http://celiacwalk.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=463591&lis=1&kntae463591=A9FD14C7726C4445ACFDB7BDFFE27733&supId=0&team=4126598&cj=Y. I will also be there as I am every year, signing books to raise more money for UMCFCR!

    If folks don’t live near Baltimore, they should still check out the CeliacWalk.org site, since there are walks all over the country to raise money for this very worthy cause!

    If we all give back with our time, talents and/or energies, our gluten-free world will certainly be a better place!

    ~jules
    1in133.org
    blog.JulesGlutenFree.com

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