Food Allergy Awareness Week
Hello all,
The following is a message from my friend Susan from SanAntonio FAST. Susan is part of FAST Connection, an amazing new non-profit. I cant steal their thunder but you will hearing a lot more about this group and the coming months.
Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 13-19, 2007. This is a perfect time to share information about food allergies with your child's schools, friends, childcares, or anyone else they come in contact with. The more people know about food allergies, the safer we can keep our food-allergic children! Here are some suggestions for things you can do:
1. Download handouts and pamphlets from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network www.foodallergy.org or call to order free materials at 1 (800) 929-4040 and distribute them.
2. Recommend that your school order FAAN's School Food Allergy Program, a comprehensive informational kit including a training video for FREE.
3. Have students watch PBS Arthur's "Binky Goes Nuts" episode, in which Binky learns about his peanut allergy. (It can be ordered thru WGBH Boston or check with your local PBS station for airing times and free Binky posters with safety rules for helping students with food allergies.)
4. Visit the PBS Arthur website www.pbskids.org/arthur to download handouts that go with the Binky episode (click on "parents & teachers" then "lesson plans" then "hooray for health."
5. Have students watch FAAN's "Alex the Elephant Who Couldn't Eat Peanuts" short video about food allergies.
6. Talk to teachers, administrators, school nurses, and district officials about ways to improve food allergy safety at your school.
7. Help someone with food allergies connect with a support group and let them know about food allergy websites.
8. Download how to "CARE" for food-allergic students for the staff at your school at www.foodallergysmart.org (click on "Tips of Month" then "archives" then "CARE guidelines."
9. Contact your school's PTA about sharing food allergy information at a PTA meeting.
10. Offer to distribute food allergy information at your school or community health fair.
11. Request that your school teach students FAAN's ways to be a PAL (Protect a Life from food allergies) to help students with food allergies. There are posters and handouts or you could read the simple rules during morning announcements.
12. Thank anyone who has helped you out with food allergy safety!
