I interviewed Gina Clowes, for my primary research interview. Clowes is the Director of Education and employee at Food Allergy Research & Education, FARE, at their national headquarters. Since our project is about bringing awareness to food allergies, I thought Gina Clowes, because of her position, would know more about this issue than just a regular employee at FARE. My thoughts on how much I would know after this interview would expand much further than before. Since Gina Clowes is the Director of Education at FARE, I know that I would learn a lot from her because Clowes is much more educated on food allergies than I am. I had to do an email interview because FARE was very busy, their biggest awareness campaign was in October, and so the…show more content… Please tell me a little bit about yourself? What's your background? How did you come to be affiliated with FARE?
Clowes responds back saying something that I did not exactly expected. Clowes said that she studied in behavioral science and art in college and after college she thought that she would be “a full time working mother,” but her son was born with over a dozen food allergies. Clowes began to volunteer at several food allergy nonprofits and eventually was hired by one of those non-profits. Clowes became the Director of Education and employee of FARE, when the non-profit she worked at, FAAN, merged with another non-profit, FAI, to become one organization, FARE.
2. I'm trying to learn a little more about the issue of food allergies. Please share with me your experience with this…show more content… Clowes found how “overwhelming and frightening” it was when she was given the diagnosis and sent way with a few fliers. Clowes ends her respond to this question by saying, “The world at large does not really understand food allergies and others often confuse them with preferences and intolerances. While I believe everyone’s needs and wants should be considered, there is a vast difference between a food preference and a disease that can claim a life with an invisible trace.”
3. I'm really interested in how do you bring awareness to the public about food allergies. To do so, I need to know what kinds of events are held to advocate about food allergies at FARE.
Clowes responds back explaining that bringing awareness can happen through many ways, such as talking to someone about the Teal Pumpkin Project and joining in a fundraising walk with other families across the nation to show support for those with food allergies. Also, she said the federal and state laws, recognize the need of children and adults with food allergies by requiring schools to stock epinephrine auto-injectors, which is a start in bringing awareness to others. She finally states that we all know or love someone with food allergies and how is not a rare condition anymore.
4. What kinds of things would you recommend, as a nation, to bring awareness or be more
