There are many creative ways you can fundraise and bring awareness to food allergy!
Food allergy mom Tiffany, wanted to do something extra special to raise awareness for Food Allergy Awareness Month. Tiffany decided to sell handmade teal keychain ribbons through Etsy where a portion of each sale goes directly to Food Allergy Canada. Plus, she has decided to continue to sell them after this month to spread awareness all year long!
Learn more about her food allergy story and keychain fundraiser in our interview below, and support our cause by purchasing your keychain today.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. How are you impacted by food allergy?
I am a mother of three beautiful children ages 8, 6 and 3. I own a small online business, Heart N Soul Décor, where I sell handmade items made of various materials. We became part of the food allergy community in 2018 when our youngest child was diagnosed with his first food allergy – egg. In 2019, he was reacting to a lot of new and previously tolerated food and had three anaphylactic reactions that year, when he was only one-years-old. He is now three and is allergic to egg, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, mustard, chickpea, pea, and fish.
Tell us about the keychain initiative you started. What prompted you to start this fundraiser and choose Food Allergy Canada as your charity of choice?
I knew Food Allergy Awareness Month was approaching and I wanted to do something extra to help. I feel like awareness ribbons are something people hold dear to their heart when it comes to showing their support for a cause. The idea to make teal ribbons and donate proceeds to Food Allergy Canada was an obvious one for me since it impacts our life on a daily basis. They retail for $10 (tax included) and 40% of each sale will be donated to Food Allergy Canada.
How has the response been so far from the community?
The response has been great! I started advertising them on May 1st to help kick off Food Allergy Awareness Month. It has been getting lots of positive attention and shares on social media. A lot of people have been tagging people they know would appreciate one.
How does food allergy affect your/your family’s life? What is it like managing food allergy? Where do you go for support?
Becoming a food allergy family has impacted our life greatly. In 2019, when our youngest was reacting to multiple foods it was very overwhelming and stressful for us as parents. I often looked to support groups on social media and read a lot of information on the Food Allergy Canada website and online to become more knowledgeable and comfortable with the diagnosis. Once we determined everything he was allergic to, it became easier to manage. I also made multiple connections with other allergy moms that were (and continue to be) a huge support system. Knowledge and experience have given us the power to feel more confident with managing food allergy as well as passionate about spreading food allergy awareness.
Are there other ways you are supporting food allergy awareness this month?
I am an active participant in Food Allergy Awareness Month on social media by sharing posts from Food Allergy Canada as well as sharing our personal food allergy story with others.
Do you have anything else you would like to add? Ribbons can be purchased through Etsy or by sending a message to my business page on Facebook or Instagram.
Thank you Tiffany for sharing your food allergy story and for raising funds for our charity! We are grateful for your dedication and support. Purchase a ribbon keychain and find out how you can start your own fundraiser in support of Food Allergy Canada.