Ep 48 GFreeWifey Talks About Food Banks
Let’s start the blog with the Show Notes for this episode:
This week I spoke with Jessica Danford whose online presence as GFREEWIFEY is well known at least amongst those from the Toronto area. Over this past year, she has begun a program to donate gluten free food to public food banks. This may sound simple, but it involves education of both management and volunteers at each food bank as well as mounting campaigns to have safe gluten free food donated to the food banks willing to handle it.
To this end, Jess has set up a GoFundMe page for donations at www.gofundme.com/gfreewifeyfoodbank
She can be found online at – www.gfreewifey.com
To be kept up to date on her projects, including the Community Cook Book sign up for her mailing list at http://eepurl.com/dsgyor
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Gfreewifey/
Instagram – GFREEWIFEY
YouTube – http://bit.ly/GFWifeyYOUTUBE
You can also email Jess at –
Sue’s Websites and Social Media –
Podcast https://acanadianceliacpodcast.libsyn.com
Podcast Blog – https://www.acanadianceliacblog.com
Facebook – @acanadianceliacpodcast
Twitter – CeliacPodcastCA
Email – acdnceliacpodcast@gmail.com
Baking Website – https://www.suesglutenfreebaking.com
Instagram – @suesgfbaking
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUVGfpD4eJwwSc_YjkGagza06yYe3ApzL
(search Sues Gluten Free Baking)
Email – sue@suesglutenfreebaking.com
New Podcast – Gluten Free Weigh In – https://glutenfreeweighin.libsyn.com
My Thoughts –
I suspect, like me, you receive many letters and personalized “asks” for money and assistance from numerous charitable organizations. For the most part these organizations are well meaning and use the donated funds in responsible ways to better the cause they are set up for. Many of us can look on these charities as worthwhile, and at the same time do not donate time or money to them.
There are many reasons for this, but the simple one is – I haven’t been affected by this situation or condition, so it’s not personal with me. This is nothing to be ashamed of, all charitable organizations acknowledge that their public “asks” are only successful with those who have been touched by the cause in one way or another.
Celiac disease is my cause, and I suspect that of most of my listenership. That’s the easy part. The harder part is to look at the “forgotten” celiacs. Those who cannot afford membership in the CCA, or to attend a conference, or who don’t have transportation to attend chapter meetings, or restaurant meetups. These celiacs are essentially invisible. We spend a great deal of time investigating new foods that we all hope will “improve our lives” or finding that next favourite restaurant, or that perfect GF picture for Instagram. It’s very difficult to imagine requiring a gluten free diet, but being in survival mode, not having enough money to buy the basics. Individuals, families and most heartbreaking of all, children, whose only treatment for a serious autoimmune condition is financially out of reach.
This is the beginning of the holiday season for many of us. It’s a season of sharing and giving. Both the Canadian Celiac Association and the GoFundMe page for GFreeWifey are excellent ways to do something special for our own this year. If we don’t, who will? Let’s make it Personal!