February Updates from the Wisconsin Chapter
Published: February 23, 2021
Check out the latest news on events, education, and getting involved with the Foundation!
Happy February!
The winter cold and snow has been hitting us pretty hard lately -- fortunately, things are heating up at the Wisconsin Chapter!
The Foundation recently held IBD Insider, a patient education program, and the feedback has been outstanding. If you were unable to attend, the sessions were recorded and you can access it using the link below. Part of the work of the Foundation is bringing you the most up-to-date information, and this session is filled with it.
There’s plenty more below! Let us know if you have questions or would like additional information. See you next month!
Leslie Del Ponte
Executive Director
THANK YOU TO OUR 100% COMMITTED TEAMS…
We are 100% Committed to finding cures & 100% Committed to safely celebrating with our Take Steps Family this year.
We can’t wait to offer a hybrid experience this year for Madison and Green Bay Take Steps! It’ll be a socially distanced drive-up starting at 9am to pick up incentives and say hello. Then, if you’re comfortable, we will have time slots on the walk route available to keep things ultra-safe & distanced.
We’re still polishing some details for our hybrid Milwaukee Take Steps experience, but we’ll give you a hint. It’s pretty rockin’. And everyone’s invited!!! Registered teams in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay will get the BIG REVEAL first, so make sure you’ve signed up.
Click your walk link to register or email Casey at [email protected] with the subject “I’m 100% Committed” to get registered or text her at (646) 369-0779.
Milwaukee (June 6): www.cctakesteps.org/Milwaukee2021
Madison (June 12): www.cctakesteps.org/Madison2021
Green Bay (October 2): www.cctakesteps.org/GreenBay2021
We are 100% Committed to… Sharing Stories
We are 100% committed to finding cures for our IBD patients -- after all, that’s why we fundraise through Take Steps! And while fundraising helps us work toward cures, sharing our IBD stories - our “why”- inspires our friends, family and colleagues to support us. As you well know, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are invisible diseases. You or your loved one may not look sick, so the people around you may not realize the challenges and worries you live with. By sharing your story, you open people’s minds, hearts, and, yes, their pocketbooks, to supporting your desire for a cure.
Here’s how you can share your story in three steps:
- Share the diagnosis you or your loved one lives with (with permission from your beloved patient first!). Make sure you include how long IBD has impacted your life.
- How has this diagnosis impacted your life?
- Why does your experience motivate you to find cures?
THANK YOU to our 100% Committed corporate supporters: Johnson Financial Group, Higher Education Records and Non-Pop!
Interested in joining Take Steps? Registered but want help getting creative with fundraising? Have questions about sharing your story? Want more information about corporate support? Email walk coordinator Casey White at [email protected].
We continue to closely monitor the pandemic and will make decisions based on the safety of our guests, but we are hopeful we can once again gather this fall. Our plan for the 3rd annual An Autumn Affair is to hold it at our NEW LOCATION Villa Filomena in the heart of Milwaukee. You won't want to miss this spectacular evening!
Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 6, 2021 for an elegant night dedicated to funding cures for Crohn's & colitis.
To learn more about this event or discuss sponsorship opportunities in 2021, please contact Leslie Del Ponte.
Register for our upcoming webinar on clinical trials and IBD!
Curious about what role clinical trials play in the treatment of IBD? Participating in a clinical trial helps researchers studying Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis answer important questions about the diseases and their treatments.
Join us on February 18 at 7 p.m. CST for From First Dose in Humans to Your Medicine Cabinet: Clinical Trials in IBD. During this live webinar, you’ll hear from Drs. Peter Higgins (Michigan Medicine) and Millie Long (University of North Carolina) about the importance of clinical trials and hear experiences from fellow IBD patients and caregivers. Click here to register.
If you missed our IBD Insider patient education program last month, you can watch the recording now at your convenience! This program highlights updates from the Crohn's & Colitis Congress®, including:
- Getting the most of your care
- Future IBD therapies
- Holistic approach to IBD care
- Managing IBD during COVID-19
Watch the program today! www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/ibdinsider
Everyone has goals they want to fulfill through their IBD treatment. Whether it's achieving remission, returning to work, or even decreasing stress, it’s important to work with your provider to identify your goals and set a treatment plan to achieve them. This approach is known as treat-to-target and it works to improve IBD care and outcomes and encourages patients to work with their healthcare teams to establish clear short- and long-term goals. Click here to learn more about the treat-to-target approach and how to be an effective partner and take an active role in your IBD care.
In-person support groups are not currently meeting, but some groups are offering virtual options. Please check our support group page on our website for additional information on your local support groups. Please reach out to your support group facilitator for more information on virtual support.
IBDaring - a virtual support group for College Students!
Meetings occur the 2nd Thursday of each month from 7-9pm
Email Elizabeth at [email protected] for more information and link to meetings
Milwaukee Adults with IBD
2021 Dates TBD
Email Shana at [email protected] for more information and link to meetings
Milwaukee Parents of Children with IBD Support Group
Meetings occur the 2nd Tuesday of even months at 7pm
Email Jan at [email protected] for more information and link to meetings
The Foundation has several resources that patients with IBD may find helpful in terms of support when the group is not meeting:
IBD Help Center: Trained specialists available to provide information, guidance, and support. The IBD Help Center is available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm EST. Contact (888) MY.GUT.PAIN or [email protected].
Power of Two: Connects those seeking support to volunteers who have gone through similar experiences with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Connections are made within an app by phone or by chat. This program is open to patients & caregivers. For more information contact [email protected].
Crohn's & Colitis Online Community: Connect with others, join discussion forums, ask an expert a question, or share your experiences.
Campus Connection A variety of tools & resources for college students with IBD.