Delete the Wheat - Blog

Support Gluten-Free Food Pantries

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Dear Friends and Colleagues,

You are all in my thoughts and I'm hoping you are well and are staying healthy. 

The gluten-free community needs help urgently.  We are finding that many food banks around the country are desperately facing shortages of gluten-free food during this COVID-19 pandemic.  In response to this need, the National Celiac Association (NCA) started an emergency effort to connect gluten-free food companies with food pantries in 9 states so far around the country.  NCA is helping by either buying food or paying for shipping to these food pantries.  They are also raising money so they can broaden their assistance to additional states.  

If you would like to contribute, know of a gluten-free company who might contribute, or would like to volunteer to help NCA connect with other foodbanks, please click here for more information. If you know of individuals who are facing gluten-free food insecurities, please encourage them to reach out to NCA at glutenfreefoodbank@nationalceliac.org and they will try to connect them with a food pantry in their area with gluten-free food options.  Also, if you could share or like this Facebook post about this situation, that would be a great help: https://www.facebook.com/BIDMC/posts/10163538061230137

With much appreciation,

Julie Bradley on behalf of Melinda Dennis

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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