JAMBA FOR A CAUSE

Want a cold smoothie on a hot summer day? Need a quick wrap or salad? Haven't yet purchased a reusable aluminum water bottle?

I'm hosting an in-store fundraiser at Jamba Juice (Hayvenhurst & Venture location only) this Saturday, August 1st. 20% of your pre-tax sale will be donated to the Eating Disorders Coalition, the only advocacy organization seeking to advance eating disorders as a federal health priority.

You need this flyer for your purchase to count toward my fundraising goal so:

1) I can drop one off at your house
2) I can email you a copy to print
3) You can meet me at Jamba on Saturday! I'll be there at 1, and will be hanging around for the rest of the day (hit me up: 818-516-9532)

Let me know how many flyers you want to give to your friends

If you can't make it, you can also donate directly to my fundraising goal: http://www.yourcause.com/vanessashakib

Want some more info?

Earlier this year, I joined the Junior Board of the Eating Disorders Coalition, the only advocacy organization seeking to advance eating disorders as a federal health priority. An estimated 9 million Americans suffer from bulimia, anorexia and binge eating disorder. I feel extremely fortunate for my recovery, and would like millions of other people to have this opportunity as well.

Studies have shown that more than 50% of factors that make one vulnerable to eating disorders are hereditary, yet research remains drastically underfunded-- leaving genetic predispositions to eating disorders largely unexplored. In the words of one doctor at a recent EDC congressional briefing, “put someone with an eating disorder on a desert island alone, that person will still have an eating disorder.” Regardless, the stigma surrounding this issue has kept the problem in the closet--hiding the fact that eating disorders have the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness.

This year, the EDC has worked with Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) to introduce the "Federal Response to Eliminating Eating Disorders Act." With co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, FREED is a comprehensive bill that provides federal action for research, treatment, and education/prevention of eating disorders, and includes provisions to determine the prevalence, incidence and correlates of eating disorders, as well as more accurate mortality rates.

While eating disorders may be expensive to treat, the economic burden is even greater when these illnesses go under-treated or ignored. The lack of access to modern, science-based treatment means that thousands of families are spending thousands—and sometimes hundreds of thousands—of dollars on care models that simply do not work. The research portion of the FREED Act includes an economic analysis to determine years of productive life lost, missed days of work, reduced work productivity, costs of medical/psychiatric treatment, prescription medications, hospitalizations, other concurring behavioral disorders, and additional burdens to society and family.

This issue is very close to my heart, and if you would like to get involved, here are some ways you can help:

--Make a tax-deductible donation to my fundraising goal (http://www.yourcause.com/vanessashakib)
--Sign up for EDC updates and newsletters (http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/index.htm)
--Join us on our next lobby day (http://www.eatingdisorderscoalition.org/upcoming-events.htm)
--You can also contact me if you would like to collaborate on fund raising events. For example, you can ask your yoga or ballet studio to hold a donation class.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Vanessa