Hello hello, everyone!

I wanted to first thank Dave for passing on the torch at GFP. He’s neck deep in a bunch of other projects but I’ll confess that I’m hoping to rope him into con

tinuing to do some restaurant reviews. He’s still got to eat, right?  And he’ll be around as he’s agreed to co-admin our FB group (come on over!).

Second, I figured it’s time to show my face and let you know that we’re working behind the scenes with plans for some site updates, new reviews and an exciting new layout and plan. Now we’re not quite ready for a big reveal but some of the things that are coming down the pike include:

• Kids Corner. Local gluten-free cuties doing video reviews of restaurants, locally produced products, and other things of interest to our GF community.
• Faster loading.
• Updated restaurant lists.
• Monthly feature focusing on restaurants that understand and are able to accommodate cross-contamination concerns.
• Local GF product section.

What do you think? Anything else you’d like to see here? Please shout, we’re open to new ideas (and guest contributors!)

In Health,
Dr. Samantha (you can get me at contact (at) GlutenFreePortland (dot) org

Sorry for the delay on getting this up. We wanted to make sure all of our ducks were in a row.

We’ve got some exciting news to share about Gluten-free Portland
that we’ve been hinting at both in the blog and in our facebook group over the last few weeks.

As you may have noticed things have gotten a little slow around here. It’s been our intention to spend more time getting things updated but life, alas, has been pulling us in a number of other directions of late. But the site is important. We are committed to providing up-to-date, accessible, and accurate information about all things gluten-free in Portland. So as of today, we’re passing the torch to Dr. Samantha, a local Portland ND who has a big heart for the gluten-free community.

She’ll be posting soon to update you all about her plans for the site. We’ll still be around so if you want to reach me (or my beautiful wife, Sienna) feel free to send us a note through the site and we’ll be sure to get it.

Thanks for all of your support! I’m looking forward to seeing how things shake out on the new site with Dr. Samantha at the helm.

-Dave

The website Gluten-Free Saver has teamed up with Van’s Natural Foods to raise money for next Summer’s Celiac Disease Foundation Summer Camp. You can help by donating, and for this week, Van’s will match donations. I don’t know if this link is current, but here is information about the Celiac Disease Foundation Summer Camp. Here is their press release.

There’s an age-old saying that, in my opinion, has never been more true…

“It’s better to give than to receive.”

And the holiday season is the perfect time for you to give back to the community. In the spirit of the giving season, I want to bring your attention to a fundraiser I’m helping promote this week for a great gluten-free cause. This week only, giving just $2 of your hard-earned money will go toward providing scholarships for children to attend a gluten-free summer camp hosted by the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) next summer in Southern California.

But this week, donating $2 doesn’t mean you’re just donating $2… This week through Sunday, December 25, Gluten-Free Saver has partnered with Van’s Natural Foods to raise money to send children to next summer’s CDF-sponsored summer camp, and Van’s is matching all donations up to $1,000! The goal is to raise $2,000 – and when you donate $2, you’re really contributing $4. You can read more about the fundraiser here: www.glutenfreesaver.com.

The summer camp will be held in San Bernardino in Southern California from July 30 to August 3, 2012, and it’s open to all 7-15 year old gluten intolerant and gluten-sensitive children – not just those diagnosed with celiac disease.

Sure, receiving gifts this time of year is always fun, but the feeling of knowing that your generous donation of just $2 can bring a tremendous amount of joy to a young child… well, now that’s priceless. Please help reach the goal of donating $2,000 to the Celiac Disease Foundation this week. Every $2 helps.

YES! I want to help send a child to a gluten-free summer camp and donate $2 right
now!

P.S. 100% of all donations will go directly to CDF.

P.P.S. If you’re feeling extra generous this holiday season, you aren’t limited to
donating just $2 – you can give as much money as your heart desires!