Food Allergy Awareness Month Meets Mental Health Awareness Month:
Why Does Advocacy Matter?
May is a meaningful month for millions of us, it’s both Food Allergy Awareness Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. The overlap is no coincidence. Living with a life-threatening food allergy impacts mental health daily, and raising awareness around this connection is crucial. I’m proud to share that May 11–17, 2025 was officially Food Allergy Awareness Week in the state of Kentucky, thanks to a proclamation I requested.
I followed FAACT’s proclamation week toolkit and sample guidelines, and it was officially signed by Governor Andy Beshear! This means it will be recognized on our state calendar—helping push food allergy awareness forward and showing lawmakers and city representatives that this is a topic worthy of policy attention. These proclamations are annual only, meaning they don’t carry over into the next year. Now in 2026, May 10-16 is food allergy awareness week, and I’ve followed the same instructions outlined here!
Why Request a Proclamation?
Proclamations are more than symbolic, they’re powerful advocacy tools. They:
- Inform elected officials about the seriousness and growing prevalence of food allergies.
- Demonstrate community support for greater allergy awareness, visibility, and related resources.
- Encourage policy change or new legislation that can improve safety, equity, and allergy education.
- Inspire media coverage and local engagement that can reach people who aren’t yet familiar with the daily realities of food allergies, and increase awareness of organizations working on food allergy advocacy and policy.
You Can Do It Too: How I Got a State Proclamation
I used FAACT’s Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW) Toolkit to guide me through the process.
In their toolkit, you will find:
- Steps to request a Mayoral/Governor Proclamation
- Sample outreach email
- Sample Mayoral/Governor Proclamation for Food Allergy Awareness Week
- Sample Press Release
Here’s what I did to make my FAAW proclamation request:
1. Make It Personal
The FAACT sample template includes a suggested message to your mayor and/or governor, but you don’t have to use it word-for-word.
This year, May 10-16, 2026, [NAME OF LOCAL SUPPORT GROUP] and Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) are part of a local and national call to action that will spread awareness and understanding regarding Food Allergies. Food allergy is an immune system response to a food the body mistakenly believes is harmful. This sometimes results in anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and has the potential to become life-threatening. When a person with food allergy eats the food, his or her immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, that trigger a cascade of symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and/or the cardiovascular system. There are approximately 32 million Americans, including 6 million children, affected by food allergies.
U.S. Mayors, Governors, City Councils, and other elected officials around the country have supported food allergy awareness in their area. Even the White House also publically supported Food Allergy Awareness Week.
As a Food Allergy Awareness Week supporter from the City/State of _____________, we would like to respectfully request that the City/State of ___________ officially proclaim May 10-16, 2026 as Food Allergy Awareness Week. Your support in endorsing FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK, will increase community awareness about food allergies. In doing so, you will help educate schools, restaurants and the residence of our city on the seriousness of this potentially life-threatening medical condition.
FAACT’s Food Allergy Awareness Week campaign provides a framework and ideas for people to choose their own best way to contribute to their communities and will provide the citizens of _____________ with an opportunity to spread awareness. [INSERT HOW YOUR SG INTENDS ON PARTICIPATING]
For additional information, please visit our website at www.FoodAllergyAwareness.org. It would truly be an honor to have the City/State of __________ formally proclaim Food Allergy Awareness Week in support of the food allergic families within our community. Thank you for considering our request.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
Then, I included the below proclamation detaills.
The Proclamation Was Secured
Here’s what the official proclamation included (based on FAACT’s recommended language and approved by my Governor Andy Beshear):
WHEREAS, Food Allergy Awareness Week was established as a national week of encouraging food allergy awareness and supporting those who are impacted by food allergies and anaphylaxis; and
WHEREAS, Food allergies affect approximately 32 million Americans, including 6 million children; and
WHEREAS, the prevalence of food allergies appears to be increasing among children under the age of 18, which is 2 students in every classroom; and
WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 1997 and 2011, the prevalence of food allergies rose 50 percent and
WHEREAS, nine foods account for 90 percent of all food allergy reactions: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Milk, Egg, Wheat, Soy, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame.
WHEREAS, a food allergy is an immune system response to a food the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When a person with food allergy eats the food, his or her immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, that trigger a cascade of symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and/or the cardiovascular system; and
WHEREAS, there is no cure for food allergies, strict avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction; and
WHEREAS, anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and has the potential to become life-threatening; and
WHEREAS, managing a food allergy on a daily basis involves constant vigilance and trace amounts of an allergen can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals; and
WHEREAS, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) is a national, nonprofit organization committed to their mission to educate, advocate, and raise awareness for all individuals and families affected by food allergies and life-threatening anaphylaxis; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, (MAYOR’S/GOVERNOR’S NAME), Mayor of the City/Governor of (CITY/STATE NAME), do hereby proclaim May 10-16, 2026 as Food Allergy Awareness Week in the City/State of (CITY/STATE NAME), and encourage all residents to increase their understanding and awareness of this potentially life-threatening medical condition, improving the quality of life of the 32 million Americans affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis by visiting www.FoodAllergyAwareness.org.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City/State of (CITY NAME, STATE) to be affixed this 10th day of May 2026.
____________________________________________
SIGNATURE NAME, MAYOR/GOVERNOR of (CITY/STATE NAME)
This achievement marks a significant step forward for every Kentuckian living with a food allergy. And the process of securing a proclamation can be applied to other causes that resonate with you. By researching your issue alongside the term “proclamation,” you can discover national campaigns that promote consistency on the calendar at a national level. For example, LGBTQ+ proclamations such as Rise Up Proclamations for LGBTQ+ youth in K-12 schools.
Organizations such as the Celiac Disease Foundation often provide resources and templates to assist advocates in requesting proclamations for awareness weeks or months. Engaging in this process not only raises public awareness but also signals to policymakers the importance of these issues to their constituents.
Want to Request One In Your State? Here’s How:
- Visit the FAACT Proclamation Page: Request a Proclamation
- Edit the Message: Option to add your personal story and local stats.
- Attach the Proclamation Draft: Fill in the proclamation details to raise awareness.
- Send it to Your Mayor and/or Governor: Use their online contact form or email.
- Follow Up: Keep an eye on your inbox and respond if their office asks for edits.
Mental Health and Food Allergies
As I said, every year May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s no exaggeration to say that mental health is health, especially in the food allergy community. From managing trauma after anaphylaxis to navigating social isolation or food anxiety, the emotional toll is significant. Recognition like this proclamation reminds us that our concerns are real—and they are being seen.
In Closing: Celebrate This Win and Keep Going
This proclamation might feel like a small step, but it’s a meaningful one. It opens doors for broader awareness, better policy, and a stronger voice for the food allergy community—not just in Kentucky, but beyond.
If you’re considering requesting a proclamation in your city, county, or state, I say: Go for it. You never know how far one email, one story, one advocate (you!) can go.
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