Clean Out The Pantry» Featured

Consolidation

peanutmom — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:39:55 +0000

Good afternoon FA friends! I’ve been working on updating the site, facebook and twitter as well as try to keep up with emails to all of you. I’ve decided to lean toward keeping FB more up to date because I can also send group updates through it.

My boys started pre-k this year & mistakenly I thought I would have more free time! Somehow I have less.

In an effort to continue what I started, updating everyone on allergy info and maintaining a budding not for profit, I need to consolidate my efforts – Please join our facebook page http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=74130557266&ref=ts to keep receiving updates from me!

If you have any questions please contact me at allergypeanutmom@yahoo.com

Thank you & best wishes as we go into this holiday season!

RE-release 2010 WNY FOOD ALLERGY SURVEY

peanutmom — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:24:03 +0000

Food allergies are on the rise in the United States. According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, greater than 12 million Americans suffer from life threatening food allergies. Agencies like the Center for Disease control are publishing general statistics, such as “From 1997 to 2007, the prevalence of reported food allergy increased 18% among children under age 18 years,” however more specific, local data would be helpful in assessing the seriousness of the growing problem. Charity Vogel, from the Buffalo News has offered to champion this effort by releasing an article in the paper on Tuesday, April 20, 2010 to assist us in gathering our data. She has a close family member with a food allergic child and finds our organization to be near to her heart. http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/04/19/1024174/parents-hope-survey-will-zero.html

Food Allergy Support Services, Inc., a local non-profit group dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by Food Allergies and elevating awareness and understanding in the community, is releasing the 2010 Food Allergy Survey. This survey is the first of its kind to compile statistics about local Food Allergy sufferers. “We would like to know how many families are affected in the area, what types of allergies are most prevalent locally and what type of services would be most beneficial to our Food Allergy Families. This is a great way to bring the families together for support,” quoted Christine Popek, founder of Food Allergy Support Services, Inc.

The survey is open from February 1, 2010 through March 15, 2010. The results will be used to develop programs and further public awareness of this growing epidemic. To complete the survey, please go to: http://cleanoutthepantry.org/surveys/. Information regarding results will be displayed on the site during Food Allergy Awareness Week, May 9th through 15th, 2010.

Thank you. We look forward to your comments and tallying the results.

Food Allergy Friendly Colleges

peanutmom — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:33:15 +0000

Did anyone ever think they would see a post with this title? Recently, I received an email from WNY Food Allergy Connection linking me to an article by USA today http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-02-16-IHEdormfoodallergies16_ST_N.htm giving us hope for our college bound FA kids! The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) premiered its College Network website in October 2009! It highlights 40 colleges across about two dozen states.

The “cliff notes” version is to check out these “FA friendly” colleges: Brown University, College of the Holy Cross, Franklin and Marshall College, University of New Hampshire and the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Happy Anniversary

peanutmom — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:19:02 +0000

Clean Out The Pantry is celebrating it’s one year anniversary on October 31st, 2009! We have done some exciting things this year and plan to continue on the path to building a strong, organized group of FA families.

Since last year,

We created this website to bring people and information together
We incorporated a charitable organization dedicated to supporting FA families
We met with researchers from the University at Buffalo, Government officials, Restaurateurs, and the Media to bring public awareness and change to FA families
We were featured in the Buffalo News
We championed a GREAT effort for Food Allergy Awareness Week!
FAAN walk was a success and a great sunny day!!!!

And now we are back to the holiday season. It poses a challenge for many food allergy families and we are here to help in any way we can. Please call us, email us, blog us, we want to answer your questions and listen to your stories. Sharing our stories helps us cope and sharing what we have learned helps someone else.

Have a great holiday season!

Kathy’s Farewell…WNY Food Allergy Connection

peanutmom — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:49:07 +0000

And now to those changes …

I’ve been leading our support group for over 12 years. It has been a privilege and a pleasure getting to know and talk to so many of you. When the group started, my son was a toddler – now he is 15 years old. And with the teen years, as many of you know (and some of you will find out soon enough!), the need for our time is just as critical as when they were little. My son is also in special ed, and his needs at this age demand my time and energy refocus, with his social and educational development as my top priority.

And so I need to let go of one passion to pursue another, I’m a mom first and foremost. As parents, I know you all get that. Effective July 1, I will be ‘retiring’ from support group leadership. What does that mean? Well, I’m still here, and will be an involved parent of a child with food allergies. I will still be writing the monthly Kid Friendly Kitchen column. I’ll still be posting on the buffalomomslikeme website. However, I won’t be in a leadership role, won’t be doing inservices, and won’t be driving people crazy with a constant stream of e-mails. In short, I’ll free up the time I need to help my son while happily sharing information in a casual way, like when I bump into people at the supermarket. )

But there will not be a void – there is a great new support group in our area, Food Allergy Support Services. They have the energy and passion to take this to a whole new level!

From Food Allergy Support Services, Inc:

Kathy thank your for your years of hard work and dedication comforting food allergy families and creating safer environments for all of us. Your years of experience and knowledge will be missed, but we know you will always be a phone call away.

I am honored to take over your group. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. We are excited and up for the challenge!

Welcome everyone to Food Allergy Support Services! We are excited Kathy has passed the torch & look forward to a bright future supporting families with food allergies! Very shortly your connection updates will be coming from us! Our role in this transition is to maintain a connection with the support group through our website, email updates and support group meetings.

Thank you everyone for your support! We look forward to working with you!

Thank you again Kathy!!! Happy retirement!

Food Allergy Awareness Week – Calendar

peanutmom — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:40:34 +0000

Food allergy awareness week runs from Sunday May 10 (Mother’s Day)- Saturday May 16, 2009. Please feel free to contact your local Allergy Friendly organization to jump on the bandwagon!!!

CANCELED Sunday – “Allergy Friendly Zone” Buffalo Bison’s Game. Tickets $8, children under 3 are FREE!!! Contact Margaret Mortello for tickets 846-2211

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/663697.html

Monday

Tuesday – Red Robin

Wednesday

Thursday – 10:30am story time at B is for Books in Orchard Park

Friday - 7pm bedtime story time at B is for Books in Orchard Park

Saturday – Eddie’s 3rd Birthday Party “Peanut Free”

Red Robin Food Allergy Awareness Week

peanutmom — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:46:24 +0000

Red Robin Orchard Park has agreed to host a Food Allergy Night during Food Allergy Awareness Week on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.

Food allergy families are invited to dine & help raise food allergy awareness among other guests in the restaurant.

FAAN will provided signage and other food allergy information.

Looks like Red Robin Amherst may join in!!!

More details to come!!!

NEW Not-for-Profit Food Allergy Support Services

peanutmom — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 16:42:29 +0000

Today has been a great day for my family. We have been working with the Buffalo News to develop a public awareness article regarding Food Allergies. It hit the papers today!

To view the article please use the following link: http://www.buffalonews.com/185/story/632305.html

My husband and I have spent the past several months discussing ways to help our family and to help the many other families dealing with food allergies. I have made it my mission to develop a public awareness campaign and launch my Not-for-Profit Agency, Food Allergy Support Services.

We are here to help families through first diagnosis, holiday stress, every day life, school and beyond. We don’t like feeling alone & confused and neither does anyone else. Our support groups have been FANTASTIC! I don’t know what I would have done without them!

We want to take things to the next level. With the additional support of Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, Allergist Dr. Andrew Green and Dr. Hugh A. Sampson, Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mt. Sinai Hospital NYC we are well on our way to exceeding our goals!

My first priority is to educate the public about food allergies. They need to understand our daily life, not as hysterial parents, but as parents who love their children and are doing everything they possibly can to make their world a safe place to live.

My next priority is to bring support services to parents of food allergy families.

I want caseworkers available for families after every confirmatory food allergy appointment. They will meet with families at home & keep in touch with them as they learn to navigate life with food allergies
We will provide Counseling to families on an individual and group basis. Anxiety & food allergies are synonymous
If necessary we will take it a step further and provide psychological services for “every day” use. Sometimes we have bad days, there should be someone to listen
Nutritional counseling will be available, not only for children with multiple food allergies, but for those parents who want to learn more about cooking healthy meals using foods they aren’t used to using
We also want to provide transition counseling to families ready to plunge into a school setting, letting go of your food allergy child
Of course our support groups will be going strong and hopefully the meetings will be better attended and more regular. With ample funding we should have the ability to attract excellent speakers…or hopefully educate some professionals to speak to us.
Education will be a HIGH priority. We want food allergies to be in the continuing education curriculum for physicians, teachers, nurses, etc. We will hold seminars for groups to help bring greater awareness of the dangers of food allergies
And lastly, Food Allergy Support Services will have it’s own website & 800# to connect to it’s members & anyone who needs our services

I will never charge parents to use my services. From time to time I may sell products through our site to help defray the cost of our programs, however I am hopeful donations from private sources will provide us with the ability to fulfill our goals and dreams!

Please think of Food Allergy Support Services and the many children it will help in the Buffalo area to expand their world one step at a time!

Yours Truly,

The Popek Family …Chris, Tom, Eddie & Sam

Making a Difference – Actress Rene Russo

peanutmom — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:21:35 +0000

Saturday morning I had the pleasure of meeting Actress Rene Russo at Wegmans!!! She was promoting White Cow Dairy. I arrived just before she did and didn’t realize my impeccable timing!!!! Rene is very tall and her hair looked great!! ~Long with bouncy curls.

Amazingly, I introduced myself to Rene, handed her a small piece of my grocery list (I just started shopping and my memory isn’t what it used to be) with this website on it. I politely asked her to please help us by mentioning the words “food allergies” publicly whenever possible, because we are in desperate need of public awareness education.

This couldn’t come at a better time. We desperately need a spokesperson willing to assist us in our efforts to create compassion for these poor children suffering from life threatening food allergies. I just read 3 more articles dismissing our hysteria. Our problem is not that we are hysterical, but that we are flooded with unknowns. We don’t know why our children suffer from these allergies, we don’t know what type of reaction they will have if they come in contact with a microscopic amount of it and the allergens are invisible, hence microscopic. And considering the public doesn’t understand why we are so concerned, we can be certain they will not go out of their way to make our lives any easier.

But if nothing else, Rene Russo is one more person educated about food allergies!!!

http://buffalolocavore.blogspot.com/2009/02/white-cow-dairy-and-rene-russo-at.html

Helpful Restaurant Info from Our Canadian Friend

peanutmom — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:08:38 +0000

An increasing number of restaurants are posting both nutritional and ingredient information on their web sites. Swiss Chalet and St. Huberts restaurants have had allergy guides for over twenty years. Yet few followed at first.

Restaurants allergy guides sometimes includes cross contamination status along with allergen information on menu choices. This so far has been mostly true of the big chains and only the top eight to ten allergens. Other restaurants have ingredient binders or allergen charts at their locations.

Kelsey’s improved and updated its allergy guide on its website, making it easier to follow. The Keg has an allergy binder, located in their restaurants, but not on line. When I went to Eastside Mario’s a couple of years ago didn’t know what an allergy policy was. Now each location has an ingredient binder with allergy information. Neither The Keg nor Eastside Mario’s has ingredient information on-line, only at their locations. The great thing about an online allergy guide is that you have an idea about what and if, you can eat somewhere before you visit the restaurant. The guides also give hints as to how allergy aware and cross contamination aware they are.

The big fast food chains like Wendy’s Kentucky Fried Chicken and Taco Bell have also put up on-line allergy information, sometimes including cross contamination policies, but have few choices for people allergic to wheat/gluten or milk. Taco Bell has no nuts in their restaurants.

If you live in a major centre your more likely to live near a specialty shop that caters to your food allergy. Toronto Ontario has more than dozen nut free bakeshops to choose from. The Ottawa Ontario area has a few, nut free bakeshops. More major cities in both Canada and the US have at least one nut free bakeshop.

New York has almost countless gluten free bakeshops and restaurants. Specialty shops with dairy and gluten free pizzas have been popping up every where. Although some main stream pizza places have dairy free vegan options not all are willing or able to deal with cross contamination issues.

Be aware with big chains the Canadian and American allergy guides may be different. Just because a restaurant has an allergy guide does not mean they have cross contamination protocols, often the allergy guides have a last updated information or a disclaimer.

We are willing, when traveling to travel at least twenty minutes out of our way to visit an allergy friendly restaurant or bakeshop. The first time we went to a dairy free bakeshop was amazing, I could actually tell my allergic child she can have anything she wants, even then she hesitated before asking for the vegan nut free brownie, but she soon caught on, and we came home with bags of goodies.

Avoiding Milk Protein http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com/Restaurants.htm