Waiter.Com Building a Better Bay Area: Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Posted by Amelia K. on Tuesday, October 28th, 2014 with 12 Comments
At Waiter.com, we’re all about community. We believe that we’re all in this together, and we want to work to make the world a better place. We know that the best way to get people to sit down together is in front of delicious food, and that happens to be our speciality. With that in mind, we’re sitting down with some of the region’s best organizations, who are working every day to help those in need and make our communities and the world better. We’re sharing their stories, as well as what you can do to help, in our Building a Better Bay Area series. The first is the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Waiter.com and the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Sitting down with Laurelle Whiteley and her staff at the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation reminds us of just how lucky we are to be able to do such an elementary thing–to sit down for a pleasant lunch with new friends. It’s something we easily take for granted, forgetting at times that for many a common task like this is difficult, if not impossible. This includes many people suffering from cystic fibrosis.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited, life-threatening condition that has a dramatic impact on the lungs and the digestive system. Symptoms generally start developing in early childhood, and it is almost inevitably fatal. However, thanks to the work of foundations like the CFF, people afflicted with cystic fibrosis live longer and more productive lives, even being able to go to school and work in some cases. Over the course of a laugh-filled, inspiring, thought-provoking, and delicious lunch, we learned more about the disease, what can be done to prevent or cure it, and what you can do to help.
Laurelle informed us that while most people remain largely unaware of the disease, and how it impacts people, it is, in fact, the most common genetic disease. Many people are carriers and don’t even realize it, but it is now possible in all 50 states to be screened to see if you are. As Laurelle says, “everyone should get this screening.” It never hurts to know, and helps you to make an informed decision.
A happy lunch, filled with learning. Find out what you can do!
Despite the terrible nature of this condition, Laurelle urges optimism. “We are closer to a cure than any other disease,” she says. “The average lifespan of a CF patient 20 years ago was 18 and now we see patients living into their 40’s.” The single biggest development in the fight against CF was the discovery of the gene that causes it. Right now, what is needed is more funding for research and drug pipeline development that can improve both the longevity and the quality of life for CF sufferers.
Corporate Funding and What You Can Do to Fight Cystic Fibrosis
One of the most important aspects of that research is, of course, funding. Corporate funding is a huge part of the CFFs work in Northern California. Laurelle explains that San Francisco and the Bay Area area are unique in that “we have many CF families supporting the fight to find a cure. We have a strong corporate environment which supports their employees giving back to the community. The beautiful Bay Area lends a fantastic background to many events.” Ways to help the foundation include corporate giving programs, employee match programs and donating time and goods to an event.
There are lots of events at which to volunteer. As Laurelle told us over lunch, there are “15 plus events each year which are dependent on volunteers. People can get their office involved in creating a team for our Great Strides walks or establish an employee giving program. The Annual Fund is designed for people to give financially on an ongoing basis.” That means that more than once a month you have a chance to get involved, to help people out, and to make the lives of some of the communities bravest but least fortunate members more full.
Waiter.com was inspired by the hard work and dedication of the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
One question we asked was how to help children with cystic fibrosis lead as close to a normal life as possible. We think this is extremely important. We wanted the team’s advice for someone who has a family member, classmate, friend’s kid, or other relation with CF? The answers were as simple as they were powerful. First and foremost, understand the disease. Respect the time treatments take each day. Help spread the word about CF and get involved in finding a cure.
As lunch wound down, our thoughts turned to the future. It’s an exciting time for those looking for a way to combat the terrible and deadly effects of Cystic Fibrosis. There are good reasons to hope, if we work together to raise awareness and funding. When asked what the goals were for the next 12 months for the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Laurelle responded that “The national chapter has been very successful with its Venture Philanthropy model and in developing new effective treatments for patients. The local chapter would like to double its fundraising totals, which 97% of every dollar is returned to the national chapter for research. We also want to perform extensive outreach to Bay Area families, so they see the Northern CA chapter as a resource.”
That is a lofty and worthwhile goal. Our lunch left us inspired to come together, to work as one, to volunteer and to help fight cystic fibrosis. We urge you to get involved — as an individual, as a company, and as a community. Together, we can make a difference.
At Waiter.com, we want to know about the organizations that our making our community a stronger place. If you know a Bay Area organization that deserves our thanks and recognition, please use our contact form below. We’d love to hear about it!
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Great idea! To meet new people, eat delicious food together and learn about community is cool. The folks at the Northern California Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation obviously had a good time and the information they provided was very interesting.
Thanks Dave! They do great work, and we’ll have more from this series. Thanks for reading!
I really like the message behind this post. Cystic Fibrosis is a scary health issue which I was not aware of before reading this article. It inspired me to bring it up at the next Rotary meeting I am a part of.
Garrett- thanks for spreading the word. I wasn’t very familiar with it either, despite how relatively common it is. The more people who are aware, the better chance the CFF has. Thanks for reading!
This seems like a great idea, especially for people who are hesitant to donate money. With food, not only can we provide nourishment, but it also gives us a change to discuss important issues such as how we can volunteer and help different causes.
Hi Anita- we do love bringing lunches to these great organizations! And you’re right- time and effort can help just as much as money.
It is a great idea to find something that everyone has in common no matter their diversity which is food. Thank you for sharing what your organization does and stating the facts that go along with Cystic Fibrosis.
Thanks Jenny! We’re so happy to be able to do a little to spread the word of the CFF. Thanks for reading!
I think Waiter.com and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation go are committed to improving the lives of Cystic Fibrosis patients. There are many companies that are all about profit and charitable organizations are the least of their concern. Waiter.com seems to care about people that suffer from this disease, and are dedicated in nationwide awareness and what people can do to help.
Hi Jamey- thanks so much for saying that. We are committed to making the Bay Area, and the world, a better place, and that starts with helping smart and dedicated organizations like the CFF and their mission of helping others. I really appreciate your comment.
I think this is a wonderful idea and message. I have had health issues with my lungs and I like to see organizations doing more to help those with health issues whether it is Cystic Fibrosis or other health related issues. It’s ideas like this that can bring the communities in the world together to help better our world.
Hi Terri- thank you for sharing that with us. You are right that we don’t usually talk about lung issues, not nearly enough. Getting information out is a great way to start. Thanks for reading, and we hope you are doing well!