NEWS: US Content Creators Drive Momentum with Feeding Gluten Free Fundraiser
Hey Gluten Free Fam,
With millions of Americans suffering from cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) amid a government shutdown crisis, some are taking matters into their own hands. This issue takes on another layer of importance when it comes to people living with celiac disease, creating additional pain in the process.
Gluten free content creators Gabby and Liz have taken the lead, driving momentum behind the Feeding Gluten Free Fundraiser to support their community in need. What started as a modest push for support has exploded, raising tens of thousands of dollars in donations. It demonstrates what people power can achieve, but more is needed.
We’ll let Gabby and Liz give us an insight into their story and motivation behind the fundraising drive.
In the meantime, you can donate to the cause through the National Celiac Association right here.
Gabby Statement on Feeding Gluten Free
Gabby:
Seeing the potential cut to SNAP benefits made me concerned for everyone but especially for my peers. I have celiac disease and have often wondered what I would do in an emergency situation if I couldn’t get access to safe food. I try to contribute individually by volunteering and donating, but it never feels like enough. I felt a little helpless when it came to helping other people like myself in a time when they needed it the most. I know many other people have been feeling the same way. When I saw that the National Celiac Association had a Feeding Gluten Free program I knew this would be a great place for us to channel that energy. It gave me the idea to create a fundraiser with my fellow gluten-free content creators.
This was late Wednesday night, and I sent a message to the National Celiac Association on Thursday morning at exactly 12:15am. Later that morning, we already had a handful of creators on board, and by the evening, a total of 30 were organized to promote it.
The original fundraising goal was set at $10,000. We beat that before the end of day 1 and had to increase it to $20,000. We broke our goal again on day 2 and upped it to $50,000. I thought surely we would slow down by day 3, but it turned out to be our biggest day yet, pushing us to over $30,000 and almost 700 donations. We’ve been averaging roughly $10,000 per day and the majority are small individual donations. The smallest being under $2 and largest being a little over $1,000. As of day 4 we have over 60 content creators involved and the list grows larger every day.
Beyond the fundraiser, there are people working together to ship extra PR products to individuals who need it, creating a map of resources for businesses who are providing free gluten-free food, and contacting their network of brands and encouraging them to match donations or donate gluten-free products to the cause.
None of this would be possible without the passion, support and commitment of every person involved. The speed at which our community has organized and come together to help each other is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Alone we may not feel like we’re making much of an impact, but collectively we are so powerful. I am so grateful for every person who has shared, engaged, volunteered and donated to show their support. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, I will never forget this feeling and I’m excited to see where we are on day 30!
Gabby’s Gluten Free Story
Gabby of @gluten.free.girlies is a content creator located in Minneapolis, MN who shares her life with celiac disease and POTS. She uses comedy as a way to spread awareness. She is passionate about promoting local businesses who are accommodating to those with celiac disease.
By day she works to support the community’s ability to dine at restaurants safely as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Find Me Gluten Free app.
Liz: Gluten Free Community Adamant No One Will Be Left Desperate & Hungry
Liz:
"What would you do if there was no safe food for you and you didn't know when you would get your next meal? Would you chance it with some food that you *know* isn't gluten-free or celiac-safe, causing your body to attack itself? Or would you starve yourself, hoping that you'll find a meal soon?
Access to celiac-safe gluten-free food in the United States is already difficult enough, considering that there is no form of government assistance that supports those of us on a medically necessary gluten-free diet.
And because gluten-free food is up to 300% more expensive than a conventional counterpart, we get to foot that gluten tax, along with all the other costs that are associated with living with an autoimmune disease.
It is vital that at this juncture we come together as a community to make sure that nobody goes hungry, because most of us are in a precarious situation and no one should have to choose between starving or glutening themselves because there is nothing else for them to eat.
The beautiful thing about this program is that NCA takes the funds to purchase celiac-safe gluten-free food that is distributed to food pantries all across the country and into the hands of the most vulnerable members of our community.
Liz’s Gluten Free Story
Liz of @yeet.that.wheat is a health equity advocate for the Celiac, GI, and chronically ill communities. As somebody who lives with multiple chronic conditions (including Celiac Disease, IBS, GERD, PCOS, and others).
Liz uses her experiences to guide her intersectional approach to advocacy. You can find education, travel and restaurant content, as well as some of Liz's favorite recipes on her social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube).
When Liz is not on her phone, you can find her getting lost in a book or listening to her current music obsession.
Statement from The National Celiac Association
The Feeding Gluten Free Fundraiser and how successful it has been so far
As most of us know by now, this week, millions of Americans did not receive their SNAP benefits for November. It’s an uncertain and frightening time for anyone facing food insecurity, including the 1 in 6 people with celiac disease who struggle to access safe, gluten-free food. For people with celiac disease, food is our medicine.
When safe food becomes unaffordable, many face an impossible choice: eat foods that will make you sick… or not eat at all. Through our Feeding Gluten Free program, the National Celiac Association works every day to bridge that gap by increasing access to safe food and providing education to individuals and pantries nationwide.
Many in the gluten-free community were deeply worried about how the shutdown and loss of SNAP benefits would affect families. One of those people was Gabby Stokes, who reached out wanting to organize a fundraiser with other creators in the GF space. The response has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Gabby coordinated more than 30 gluten-free content creators who, together, have already raised over $35,000 for our Feeding Gluten Free program. This support arrived at the exact moment we needed it most.
We’ve already begun receiving urgent requests from unpaid federal workers, families who lost their SNAP benefits, and individuals who cannot afford the medically necessary foods they rely on.
This fundraiser will allow us to help the people who have already reached out, and many, many more in the weeks ahead.
Our Organization’s Mission
The National Celiac Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to educating & advocating for individuals with celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivities, their families, and communities throughout the country.
The NCA's Feeding Gluten Free program works year-round to send gluten-free food every month to individuals and partner food pantries around the country. As millions of people face losing benefits, this program is more critical than ever. Pantries have been inundated with requests, both from those seeking food and those wanting to help.
NCA can respond directly to individuals and coordinate bulk purchases of gluten-free food for pantries, ensuring those who need GF food don't go without safe options.
Best Links to Celiac Resources
Everything about the Feeding Gluten Free program will be found here: https://nationalceliac.org/find-a-food-bank-pantry-near-you/
It contains strategies to maximize budget, food pantry listings that offer GF foods, disaster preparedness strategies, and general information.
