Companion Magazine for IBD Volume 1 | Page 59

THE FUTURE FOR THE FOUNDATION I am very excited to announce some of the incredible things The Crohn’s Journey Foundation has planned for 2014: Our official store page will be open at the end of December, selling our amazing IBD “Love Your Insides” shirts, as well as our temporary Heart Tattoo symbolizing our “IBD movement to love your insides”. We are selling both items to help spread a love for IBD so that we can begin to replace some of the fear, sadness, anger and other negative emotions that come from having IBD. You may go here to purchase them: http:// thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/shop/.  If our store hasn’t launched by the time you click on it, please feel free to email me at [email protected] and I will be more than happy to process your order for a shirt or a Heart Tattoo. You can also read our incredible articles written by people with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis which are guaranteed to inspire you, relate to you, and educate you: http://thecrohnsjourneyfoundation.org/blog/. We are also launching in-person support groups in January 2014 in Chicago, New York, Texas, Sacramento and Los Angeles. These support groups will focus on bringing IBDers together, creating an IBD support system and providing education on various ways to find a peaceful balance within our bodies with Eastern and Western medicine. Information about the support groups will be announced here: https://www.facebook.com/notes/ the-crohns-journey-foundation/tcjf-ibd-meetups-2014/365367590274914. The Foundation will also be hosting the IBD Prom—our exciting fundraiser event in New York in April 2014 (exact date TBA). The proceeds will go towards funding our second IBD Retreat on the East Coast in 2014. This is a very exciting event because TCJF will be receiving amazing support from some incredible IBD advocates who will help host the event, including Sara Ringer from Inflamed and Untamed , Frank Garufi Jr. from The Crohn’s Colitis Effect , Christina Matthies from The Crohn’s Diaries, Marisa Troy from Keeping Things Inside Is Bad For My Health, Jeffrey LeVine from A Guy With Crohn’s , Mary Pryor, and Rebecca Kaplan from Caring For Crohn’s. The first Crohn’s Journey Retreat was held in Ojai, CA Oct 16-19 (3 nights, 4 days) and was amazing. We look forward to bringing the same positive energy, love and community to the East Coast in our next retreat which will be announced soon. We will keep our members and supporters updated!   58