October is Celiac Disease Awareness Month |
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Celiac Sprue Association and Canada have celebrated
October as Celiac Disease Awareness Month since 1987. |
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Celiac Disease Awareness Month Packet Details
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| Participate in Celiac Awareness Month and help increase awareness of celiac disease nationwide. Activities can occur at many different levels: |
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| NATIONALLY – The CSA National Office |
- Coordinates the Annual CSA Conference and the Annual CSA Dietitian Day
- Distributes information packets on celiac disease with all 50 state departments of health
- Shares a basic set of materials on celiac disease with 600 libraries
- Shares information about CSA with hospital dietetic departments
- Provides dietitian and physician packets at no charge, upon request
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| LOCALLY – CSA chapters do an outstanding job of promoting celiac disease awareness by: |
- Providing CSA-prepared press releases to local media
- Placing human-interest stories in area newspapers
- Giving radio and television interviews
- Co-sponsoring activities with state dietetic associations
- Setting up physician/patient interviews on talk shows or radio
- Donating materials to health agency files and to libraries
- Educating chefs and restaurant staff about the gluten-free diet
- Co-sponsoring displays with area hospitals and shopping malls
- Participating in health fairs
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| INDIVIDUALLY |
If you, or someone you know, is dealing with celiac disease and would like to do something to help "get the word out," Celiac Awareness Month is the perfect opportunity. The list of things you could do is endless. Here are some things you might try:
- Join CSA
- Share something positive about the disease and the diet with a new person.
- Have a conversation with the manager of your local grocery store, explaining the importance of the availability of gluten-free options.
- Visit with clergy regarding the definition for a strict gluten-free diet and the ramifications of that for communicant members.
- Give a program to an organization about what celiac disease is and how it is handled, both at home and away.
- Request that CSA send brochures to doctors and dietitians in your area.
- Buy a CSA membership for a family member, health care professional or your local library, guaranteeing that CSA's quarterly newsletter, Lifeline, is available to others.
- Encourage local chapter members to join the national CSA organization.
- Contact the CSA office with your ideas and successes. CSA is continually looking for more ways to help the celiac community.
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