Follow By Email: FAACT's June e-Newsletter

The Voice of Food Allergy Awareness

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Food Allergy
Awareness Month
A Big Success!

Thanks to everyone who helped make this May our best Food Allergy Awareness Month yet!

In just one month, we spread #OurTealWayOfLife message to thousands of people across the country. Here are just a few ways we educated people about food allergies in May:

257,812 Facebook impressions
48,265 Twitter impressions
31,322 Instagram impressions
13,138 Pinterest impressions
50,189 visits to our website

We also opened registration for FAACT's seventh annual Teen Retreat, October 28-30 in Oak Brook, Illinois. Teens will learn about managing their food allergies and spend time with other teens who have food allergies (and siblings who do not). FAACT's Celebrity Spokesperson, August Maturo, will be joining us, as well!

From school cafeterias to local eateries, there are special challenges in cooking for people with food allergies. Through FAACTs partnership with MenuTrinfo®, the food service industry's food allergy expert, we provide leading-edge food allergy education, risk-reduction strategies, and emergency preparedness plans to food service facilities so they can safely serve people living with food allergies as well as their families, friends, and colleagues.

These are just a few of the highlights from this year's Food Allergy Awareness Month. Thank you again to all the food allergy families and supporters who helped share #OurTealWayOfLife this year!

Happy Father's Day

We see you, Dad! Sometimes moms get all the love, but you are just as important in the life of your food-allergic child.

Food allergies can be intimidating, but so is a dad on a mission! On June 19, we're sending a big bear hug of gratitude to all the food allergy fathers, father figures, caregivers out there. You're reading food labels, grilling restaurant staff, advocating for safe spaces at school, and hugging your kiddos tight at night.

We appreciate your contributions to food allergy awareness, and we know your child appreciates everything you do to keep them safe and help them become their own best advocates.

We honor and celebrate fathers everywhere!

FAACT wishes everyone a
Happy Father's Day!

Last Call to Register for
FAACT's Camp TAG in Nashville!

FAACT's Camp TAG provides a safe place for children (ages 5-13) with food allergies, eosinophilic disorders, Celiac disease, FPIES, and asthma and their non-allergic siblings to have fun – with no worries about allergic reactions – and meet other children who share similar experiences. Teens with food allergies and teen siblings ages 14+ can apply to serve as volunteer teen counselors and receive community service hours for their time during the week.

Join us in Nashville, June 20-24, for a fun week of camp activities and the chance to meet FAACT's Celebrity Spokesperson, August Maturo. Deadline to register is June 6!

For volunteer teen counselors: Teens receive community service hours for their time, which averages about 35-40 hours for the week. There is an application process. Teen counselors will be notified once applications are reviewed. There is a $75 activity fee for teen counselors.

Can't make it to Nashville? Join FAACT's Virtual Camp TAG July 18-22, 2022. Details are available on our website.

We hope you can join us for a fun-filled experience this summer.

REGISTER TODAY!

Traveling with Food Allergies

Traveling can be a wonderful experience for families to create memories that can last a lifetime! Traveling with food allergies takes some extra planning, but the rewards of a safe vacation and quality time spent with family members are worth the extra effort.

FAACT's Traveler's Checklist is designed to help you make travel plans. (It complements the Traveling with Food Allergies content available on our website.) Checklist items may not be applicable to every travel situation and should be used as a reference. Please direct any medical questions and concerns to your medical provider and follow his or her instructions regarding travel.

Visit FAACT's Traveling with Food Allergies section for more resources and tips.

Be sure to tune in to our latest FAACT's Roundtable Podcast with Kyle Dine, Get Food Allergy Ready for Summer Travel!

Planning for the 2022-2023 School Year?

Every child has the right to safely and equally participate in school activities alongside non-allergic children. One of the best ways to make this happen is to advocate for your child's rights well before the start of the next school year.

Start with a visit to FAACT's Civil Rights Advocacy Resource Center for resources and documents you can download and print.

FAACT's Civil Rights Advocacy Resource Center staff are available to answer your questions FREE of charge and assist you in seeking accommodations for your child at school.

Because laws vary by jurisdiction and agency policies vary by state and locality, local professionals are often the best experts on these varying laws and policies. FAACT can help you find local civil rights professionals as well. For questions or more information, please contact FAACT Vice President of Civil Rights Advocacy Amelia Smith at Amelia.Smith@FoodAllergyAwareness.org.

Legal Considerations for College

Understanding your civil rights and legal considerations supports a smooth transition to college. Important areas of consideration include dining service and housing accommodations, as well as legal documents that may need to be prepared to allow parents access to an adult student's medical, financial, and academic records.

Visit FAACT's College Resource Center to download our Legal Considerations handout and many numerous resources.

For questions regarding legal considerations in college, please contact FAACT Vice President of Civil Rights Advocacy Amelia Smith to schedule a call at Amelia.Smith@FoodAllergyAwareness.org, a complimentary service offered by FAACT.

One Year In: A Juneteenth National Holiday

by Aleasa Word, FAACT VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

A year ago, the United States officially established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Before that, some states had their own recognition of this day to support the deep culture of African Americans, celebrating what some call Black Independence Day. After all, Juneteenth marks the date that the last slaves in Galveston, Texas, found out that they were free in 1865 – a full two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. So, June 19th will forever represent a day of freedom, leaving an indelible mark for generations whose families were impacted by slavery in America.

Since FAACT was founded, we have continued to evolve the way we look at inclusion. We understand the importance of intersectionality, of knowing that people of all races, colors, orientations, religions, and creeds live with food allergies. Because of this, it is important to meet our community wherever they are, whether it be the recognition of Juneteenth, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, Native American Heritage Month, Hispanic American Heritage month, or other opportunities to tell the melting pot in our country, WE SEE YOU!

Read the full blog on FAACT's website...

Inclusion Matters

The Normalization of PRIDE
by Aleasa Word, FAACT VP of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

As a kid, my family moved a few times, bouncing back and forth between Maryland and Delaware. When we lived in Maryland, I would often talk about my roots in Delaware and beam with PRIDE talking about my large family and how we weren't that far away from them. In high school, there were a lot of kids trying to find themselves, so anyone who had PRIDE about anything was typically ridiculed. The only way some kids knew how to make themselves feel big was to make others feel small. Some kids are pros at the "I'm big, you're small" behavior. Fortunately, most kids grow out of that thinking as their brains develop cognitively. They start to realize that feeling big (or confident) doesn't mean they have to tear someone else down. They can and should be confident in their own abilities while simultaneously feeling free to be proud of others and their abilities – or even their differences.

One thing I did not count on growing up was having to prove myself, because sometimes I looked mixed, sometimes I looked black. Life taught me that no matter what the shade of my skin was, I had every right to be proud of it because it was simply part of who I am. Think about that for a second. Who leaves the womb and stops at the picker booth to choose their color or orientation before they meet their parents? Simply said, you are who you are. You are amazing just as you are!

That brings me to a very important issue we have to think about in 2022: A lot of our young people (and even adults) are forced to feel that who they are and what they represent is not good enough. They are pushed to the point of depression, anxiety, or worse. This is especially true with those who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes people are perfectly fine with others in their community until they find out one thing: their orientation. This is NOT OK! How can we go from being totally ok with someone, hanging out with them, letting them be our doctor, teacher, or friend to having an issue because of one thing that is different from you or me – who they like, love, or are attracted to?

Honestly, we are all different in some way. NO ONE IS THE SAME, and that is OK. You have the right to be who you are, and others have that same right…to be happy about who they are and to walk with a sense of PRIDE every single day!

In the food allergy community, we fight hard to get people to accept our children and challenge people to see food allergies as a health condition we have and do not choose. We are still fully functioning people outside of our food allergies. We protest, write letters, and even boycott brands or products. We are proud of who we are and what we represent.

In this month when we celebrate PRIDE, I support those who live or love differently than I do. As a proud member of the FAACT family, I can honestly say our entire team supports the differences everyone brings to the table. Each person deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Each person deserves to feel included, as well as be treated equally and equitably. With PRIDE…..let us all stand as allies.

Chef Diego's Corner

Chef Diego Baraona is an executive chef, culinary instructor, and former Culinary Manager of the Bionutritional Kitchen at Mount Sinai Health System in the Clinical Research Unit for Pediatric Allergy Research. Chef Diego has created hundreds of allergy-friendly recipes for families, like this one!

Check out his latest recipe!

Summer Salad

Refreshing, zesty, sweet and a pungent peppery taste. I recommend using organic ingredients.

Ingredients:

2 navel oranges, cut in segments*
2 seedless cucumbers, cut lengthwise and sliced
2 apples, sliced (place in a bowl with acidic water to control apples going brown)**
2 scallions, sliced thin
3 radishes, cut in half and sliced thin
1/2 bunch of cilantro or parsley, chopped (if you use parsley, only use leaves)
Juice of one orange
1 tablespoon of virgin olive oil (I recommend using a good Spanish olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Blend together the orange juice with the olive oil and salt and pepper.
In a bowl add all ingredients and toss around with orange olive oil dressing.
Ready to serve.

* I recommend looking at videos in the internet to learn how to segment an orange. Good way to improve your knife skills.

** Use this method to prevent apples from turning brown: create a water bath for your apple slices with a ratio of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 1 cup of water. Soak the apple slices for 3 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse them.

Enjoy!

Chef Diego contributes an allergy-friendly recipe each month in our e-newsletter. You can follow Chef Diego on Instagram at @chefbaraona to see more of his amazing, allergen-friendly recipes.

FAACT's Roundtable Podcast: Where The Latest Food Allergy Conversations are Heard

Stay up to date on the most talked-about news and tips for living with food allergies. Discover the latest information, including back-to-school accommodations from legal experts, Covid-19 vaccinations and food allergies, mental health across the lifespan, and much more.

ICYMI, our recent podcasts included:

Download FAACT's Roundtable Podcast here. You can also find FAACT's Roundtable Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Podcast Chaser, Deezer, Tune-In, Alexa, and Listen Notes.

Subscribe, share, and leave us a review!

Support FAACT While Shopping on AmazonSmile

Shopping for a Father's Day gift? Use AmazonSmile when you shop online to donate a portion of your spending to FAACT! It does not cost you anything...except a minute of your time to set it up.

Enter Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Connection Team as your charity and select AmazonSmile each time you shop – even from your smart phone app!

THANK YOU for your support.

FAACT Partnership with MedicAlert Foundation

Safety and preparedness are at the heart of each food allergy emergency plan. During an anaphylactic emergency, immediate access to contacts, insurance, and information about other health conditions are often needed. Services linked to identification jewelry are top choices for many people living with food allergies.

FAACT partnered with the MedicAlert Foundation to help raise food allergy and anaphylaxis awareness. Our partnership includes collaborating on educational resources, internal call center training with MedicAlert staff, webinars, and more.

As a special gift to FAACT families, new MedicAlert subscribers will receive 20% off their new subscription service order. Use promo code: FAACT20. Visit MedicAlert to subscribe today!

Subscribe for FAACT's Alerts and Recalls

Sign up for FAACT's Alerts and Recalls to receive the latest information on food allergen-related recalls of FDA-regulated products. You can also search our recall archives by specific allergens at any time.

FAACT will only post recalls and alerts reported by FDA, USDA, and manufacturers regarding the top 8 food allergens recognized by the FDA (soon to be top 9, including sesame). FAACT will not post non-food items with the exception of medications, under the advisement of our Medical Advisory Board.

Subscribe today on FAACT's Alerts Page.

FAACT's Resource Page for COVID-19

Your safety and health are always the highest priority at FAACT. Our medical advisory board encourages all individuals to follow the global health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) along with relevant state guidelines.

We have CDC updates and tips for staying safe on our Resource Page for COVID-19.

From our FAACT family to yours, please stay healthy and safe – and let us know if you need anything!

More About FAACT

Food allergies affect as many as 32 million Americans, including 6 million children. The prevalence of food allergies appears to be increasing among children under the age of 18, and there is NO cure! FAACT's mission is to educate, advocate, and raise awareness for all individuals and families affected by food allergies and life-threatening anaphylaxis. FAACT is also your voice for food allergy awareness, from keeping children safe at school to dealing with workplace issues or simply taking the family out for a bite to eat. Managing a food allergy on a daily basis involves constant vigilance. FAACT is here to support you in managing your food allergies – today, tomorrow, and into the future.

For more information, please visit us at www.FoodAllergyAwareness.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Contact us directly via Email.