Delete the Wheat - Blog

Hurricane Relief for our Gluten-Free Friends

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A task force of hospital celiac centers, nonprofit organizations and community leaders is facilitating gluten-free product donations and gluten-free/allergy-friendly designated monetary donations to food banks in areas affected by the hurricanes. To learn how you can help please visit:

http://celiaccommunity.org/2017/hurricane-relief/

And today’s email update from Tricia Thompson of Gluten Free Watchdog 

September 14, 2017

Hurricane Irma: We are in touch with someone on the ground in St. Croix. She is trying to help us figure out how to get gluten-free food to the shelters in St. Thomas. However, her communications with St. Thomas have been spotty at best. According to her emails, the damage suffered in St. Thomas and St. John is catastrophic. Shelters are open in St. Thomas. There are shelters in St. John but she doesn’t know how they fared. Many folks are staying with friends and family. “If someone has a house that's mostly intact, just needs a tarp, they will be keeping friends and family.” Food and supplies are getting to the islands via boat or military helicopters/planes. We will keep the community posted.
 

Thank you for caring. We truly are a remarkably supportive community.

Melinda

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Melinda Dennis, MS, RDN

Hi! I was diagnosed with celiac disease and Dermatitis Herpetiformis (an associated skin rash) in 1992 when celiac disease was considered to be rare. Following my passion for teaching, I received my MS in Nutrition and Health Promotion from Simmons College in Boston, MA, completed my clinical internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and in 2004 co-founded the Celiac Center as the Nutrition Coordinator and a research co-investigator where I work today.

I enjoy lecturing nationally and internationally and have written extensively on the nutritional management of celiac disease, including the award-winning book Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting and Thriving Gluten Free. I am lead author and editor of the comprehensive nutrition and medical website: celiacnow.org and served two terms as the first dietitian Councilor at Large for the North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease.

I now serve as Executive Committee Member of the Celiac Research Program at Harvard Medical School. and as Senior Nutritionist Consultant to the National Celiac Association.

I've been interviewed by NPR, US News and World Report, Today's Dietitian, Boston Magazine, AARP, Eating Well, the Harvard Health Letter, the Boston Globe, the LA Times, WCVB TV Boston, Fox News, and numerous radio stations and gluten-free magazines. It's been my pleasure to work with many patients and multiple gluten-free companies to advance the awareness of gluten-related disorders. Click here to access links to various interviews and articles.

Banner Photo: Courtesy of Newton Community Farm, MA