FUN UPDATE: As of 2026, our Inclusive Allergy & Autoimmune Meetup in Louisville is still going strong! We have an Instagram presence now, find us at @allergyautoimmunelou
_______________________________________________________________________________________
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, 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 July of 2023, Martha and I launched our very first Inclusive Food Allergy & Autoimmune Meetup (IAAM)! Ever since, the 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 LAST TUESDAY of the month, we will craft together (we provide free crafts or you can bring your own), or just come and enjoy good conversations together. We’ve been testing out doing 15-minute lectures on various health and chronic disease topics as well each meeting. Feel free to submit a topic you’d like covered!
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! I’ll continue updating them here as they evolve. 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 Tuesday of every month at the Gardiner Lane Rainbow Blossom.
Please come and spread the word! If you require accommodations to be able to attend, unfortunately there are stairs and no elevator, 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 as this is a non-food event. Drinks such as water, soda, tea, etc. are allowed!
- 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 Rainbow Blossom is a safe space 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!
Want more food allergy content? Subscribe to get alerts when a new food allergy blog post publishes & stay in the know!
Be the change you wish to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi