Hello, everyone! I have some exciting news about a recurring food allergy & autoimmune event. As you may have read about on my website or social media, I live in Louisville, Kentucky, and am lucky enough to be in the same city as allergy-free establishments such as Annie May’s Sweet Cafe, The Silly Axe Cafe, and to have become close friends with Martha Morgan, the face behind Allergy Dragon’s Lair. Martha is a private allergy-accommodating chef and creator of the successful & important Allergy Dragon’s Lair Podcast.
Martha and I first met at the local grocery store, Rainbow Blossom, in Louisville, when she was doing one of her Wellness Wednesdays at the store, helping spread allergy awareness and offering her cooking services as a celiac and food allergy resource. She saw me scoping out allergy-free products, and we ended up talking and exchanging information, and I’m so thankful we did!
Fast forward to today in July of 2023, Martha and I are preparing to launch our very first Inclusive Food Allergy & Autoimmune Meetup (IAAM) this month! In fact, in just a little over two weeks. These monthly IAAM meetups are free to the public, and anyone can come who has or manages a dietary restriction, food allergy, food intolerance, celiac disease, or any autoimmune disease and is looking for community. Each month, we will have two themed gift baskets that will be raffled off (for free, all you have to do is be present to win!) to those who attend in person. I’m so grateful and excited to start this inclusive allergy/autoimmune meetup. As you may know, I have a life-threatening peanut allergy that’s cross-contact and airborne, and have multiple food intolerances and chronic inflammation due to an autoimmune disease. I’ve lived with my anaphylaxis food allergy all my life into my thirties, but my psoriatic arthritis autoimmune disease only began a few years ago.
Below is the full flyer for our IAAM event, and all the details! Please download & share the flyer across social media, and if you are a business in Louisville or the surrounding area and would like to post one in person, please contact me via my contact form or my Instagram, and I would love to give one to you. If you have any suggestions for businesses to place these around town, I’m all ears!
We hope to see everyone who is interested in making it come and join us on the last Friday of every month! The first meeting is July 28th from 6-8pm at the lovely, cozy, supportive & spacious Sis Got Tea location in Louisville. The owner of Sis Got Tea, Arielle, has offered us this inclusive, welcoming space while she’s open to the public during her regular business hours.
Please come and spread the word! If you need accommodations to be able to attend, please let Martha & Zoë know via email at: iaamlouisville@gmail.com
Here are our 3 simple IAAM asks for this recurring event:
- This is an event for anyone in the public to be able to attend to discuss food allergies, autoimmune issues, etc. Since everyone’s food allergy experience and autoimmune experience are individual, we want this to be a friendly, positive, encouraging space to meet others in the same community.
- As some people have airborne food allergies, it is preferred if you can eat beforehand and come enjoy water or purchase tea at the event. You do not need to spend money at Sis Got Tea to attend, but absolutely can, as they have delicious teas and a selection of pastry items.
- If you don’t have a food allergy, autoimmune disease, food intolerance, etc. but you have family members or friends who do, please feel free to come! Please do know that Sis Got Tea is a Black-owned, LGBTQ+-owned, and woman-owned business, and IAAM believes all are welcome to attend just as they are- we’re an LGBTQ+ & disability-friendly meetup.
We hope to see you there!! The more the merrier- let’s build community! Any questions about the monthly event? Email Martha & me (Zoë) at: iaamlouisville@gmail.com
XO!
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Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi