Gabi Lake's Fundraiser
Donate to Feeding Matters this PFD Awareness Month
You're a difference-maker!
The work of Feeding Matters impacts lives all around the world, including mine.
As many of you know, I transitioned out of the classroom in May of 2023. As I sought out different opportunities to use my passion and skillset, I was offered many positions and weighed three offers carefully all at once. Ultimately, my choice was Feeding Matters. Why? Well, there’s a few reasons - some pragmatic, some personal - but I really just had this feeling through the whole interview process that told me this is where I fit.
It is such a great fit for me, in the ways I expected plus so many unexpected ways. Being a part of the Feeding Matters team has impacted my life so positively. I’ve learned a lot in my role and about PFD. As a teacher, I served many students with PFD, and I can look back and see ways that I served them well and things that I would do differently with the knowledge I now have about the disorder. And there’s still so much to learn!
Feeding Matters is the only organization in the world that supports children with pediatric feeding disorder (PFD) and their families. Data from 2018 shows that 1 in 37 children have PFD, but this number continues to climb and prevalence continues to rise. That’s about one kindergartner in every classroom - and yet, many people have never even heard of it. Learn more about PFD along with me at feedingmatters.org or by following @feedingmatters.
At present, our services and programs reach across 63 countries. Our visio is to create a world where children with PFD thrive. We do this through four pillars: Education, advocacy, research, and family support. Here is just one thing we are currently doing in each of these pillars:
📚 Education: We are currently offering our annual International Pediatric Feeding Disorder Conference on-demand through May 28. This offers over 22 hours of learning in a variety of dynamic sessions taught by and for professionals and families alike. Link to Conference registration and session info: https://feedingmatters.vfairs.com
💪🏼 Advocacy: We are assessing the needs of families as it relates to insurance coverage. Many families unfortunately have to pay out-of-pocket in hefty amounts of money for services like feeding therapy, formula, etc. We are collaborating with insurance companies and partners to try to ease this financial burden and get more coverage for families. Read about PFD Insurance Coverage here: https://www.feedingmatters.org/insurance-coverage/
🔎 Research: We have a group of 19 people - some parents/caregivers of children with PFD, some adults with PFD - who make up the Family-Centered PFD Research Consortium. This group was formed to help drive the field of research forward with the perspectives and needs of those affected at the forefront. Learn about the Consortium: https://www.feedingmatters.org/consortium/
❤️ Family Support: We run the Power of Two program, which pairs parents and caregivers together as mentors, supporters, and partners in their PFD journeys. In 2023, we served 487 families through our family support programming. See Family Support resources here: https://www.feedingmatters.org/family-support-reso...
I share all this because I truly believe in the work that Feeding Matters is doing. This month (May) is PFD Awareness Month, and we are currently running a fundraising campaign. If you feel inspired, I invite you all to make a donation through my fundraising page to Feeding Matters. A gift of any amount truly makes a difference. Thank you all for reading this and for considering a donation.
Feeding Matters is a registered 501(c) 3 charitable organization. Headquartered in Arizona, Feeding Matters is also eligible for the Qualifying Charitable Tax Credit. Please contact your tax advisor for more details regarding tax benefits.
Truly every gift counts and we are so grateful!
