Gluten-free support systems ~ so many to involve yourself in!

Community is so important! Get involved with like-minded people for support, friendships, eating at new gluten-free restaurants, and sharing gluten-free information.

Community of like-minded people plays such an important role in helping us stay on track, growing with new information, and overall support, in every aspect of life.  For those of us following a gluten-free lifestyle, ‘community’ is made so easy with websites such as MeetUp.

According to www.meetup.com, they have 101 Meetup groups, in 86 cities, in 14 countries in existence today, with 7.041 people ‘interested’ and a huge 18,451 members across the globe – just for Celiac Disease!

If you’re not familiar with MeetUp groups, take a peek and see what they’re all about.  “Neighbors getting together to learn something, do something, share something…”   Signing up to MeetUp is free.  Add your zip code, type in some things you’re interested in, such as “celiac disease”, “cooking gluten-free”, “gluten-free”, “dining gluten free”, and see how many groups are near you right now!

Most groups are free to join, and will list any fees associated with a particular event.  Some ask for a nominal $5-$10 yearly donation to assist with fees associated with keeping the group active (MeetUp charges group leaders a monthly fee, so dropping in a few bucks to help seems fair).

Once you join a few groups, you can see activities easily on the calendar.  Go to what interests you, and be open to meeting new people and gaining insights.

Disclaimer:  I’m not a meetup organizer, group leader, or work for them in any way.  I simply know sometimes we can feel ‘stuck’ in situations, and I’ve found this a great place to meet some really fantastic people.  I’m sharing the information in hopes maybe it will be just as helpful for you.

For a quick peek at the 101 Celiac Disease MeetUps, click here.

Their top 10, largest Celiac Disease MeetUps are:

1.  New York City Celiac Disease Meetup (NY, NY) – 2,077 ‘Gluten-Free People’
2.  Eat Right! Get Healthy! Feel Amazing! Brighton (UK) – 753 ‘Healthy Food Lovers’
3.  The Suppers Programs (Princeton, NJ) – 662 ‘Suppers Members’
4.  Boston Gluten Free (Boston, MA) – 633 ‘Members’
5.  Gluten-Free Bay Area (Berkeley, CA) – 611 ‘Members’
6.  Gluten Free PDX (Portland, OR) – 603 ‘Members’
7.  Primal Living STL (Saint Louis, MO) – 576 ‘Members’
8.  Enjoying Life Without Gluten! (San Diego, CA) – 572 ‘Gluten Free Friends’
9.  The Gluten-Free London Club (London, UK) – 567 ‘GF Eaters’
10.  Washington DC Gluten-Free Dinner Club (Washington, DC) – 498 ‘People With Celiac Disease’

Be open to the possibilities!  There are others just like you, who are waiting to share their experiences with you.

One new gluten-free friend in your world might make all the difference.

   – wendi e.  :O)