Awareness raising is a key activity of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria). There are lots of things that you can also do to to raise awareness in your own community. This page contains a few ideas.

• Become a member of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)
• Arrange displays in your local library or community centre
• Volunteer for ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)
• Write/arrange an interview with your local paper
• Organise and awareness raising or fundraising activity
• Distribute blue ribbons to key community figures
• Encourage donations at your events
• Contribute to 'Emerge'
• Buy ME/CFS products for sale
• Support partners of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)

Become a member

Being a member of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) is a great way to support the organisation and the ME/CFS community. Your membership fees allow us to continue providing our services to people with ME/CFS and their families, raise awareness of ME/CFS through community education, and participate in political lobbying.

Arrange displays in your local library or community centre

ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) has a ready-made display that can be put up in libraries, community centres, health centres, schools and local clubs. It contains information on ME/CFS in an accessible format, and is available to download here (1,186kb file).

The library display includes seven new photo-based posters developed in December 2010. High resolution copies of these posters can be downloaded here.

• "I was told my ME/CFS sypmtoms were  all in my head." (Low Res 93kb)
• "My daughter missed three years of school; she couldn't read, write or do sums. Just getting to school completely exhausted her." (High Res 15.6mb; Low Res 85kb)
• "I'm not able to play footy anymore without crashing in bed for two days after." (High Res 40.1mb; Low Res 114kb)
• "Having severe ME/CFS means I can't work, use a computer or hang out with my mates." (High Res 44.1mb; Low Res 88kb)
• "My family and friends don't understand why I can't do the things I used to do before I got ME/CFS." (High Res 24.7mb; Low Res 84kb)
• "Having ME/CFS meant I had to give up my career." (High Res 9.7mb; Low Res 74kb)

All you need to do is organise the space for the display and a time you (or someone else) can put it up! Let us know where it goes up and we'll include a list here. Photos are welcome!

Volunteer for ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)

If you’re able to spare and manage a couple of hours now and then volunteering, there are always things to do in the office. Answering calls on the Support Line, taking phone messages, compiling spreadsheets, developing databases, helping with mail-outs, helping in the library, and putting together resource packs are common activities for office volunteers.

Members experienced in group work and have counselling skills may be interested in co-facilitating self-help groups and telephone Link-Ups.

Click here to download a volunteer application form.

Write a letter/arrange an interview with your local paper

A short letter outlining your struggle and the need for increased education of health practitioners, and funding for ME/CFS services is an effective way to raise awareness. Arranging an interview with a local or state-based paper could also help to get the message out into the community. If you were able to get a radio interview that would also be fantastic!

In 2010, one of our members had her short letter published in the Melbourne Weekly; another arranged an interview for her daughter in the local paper; and another was interviewed by Richard Stubbs on ABC Radio Melbourne 774.

Organise an awareness raising/fundraising activity

Public activities of any size help to raise awareness. Recent activities focussing on ME/CFS include:

• ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) organised a seminar at the Melbourne Town Hall, featuring Dr. Nicole Phillips and Dr. Don Lewis speaking about 'an update on XMRV' and 'latest treatment options' in ME/CFS.
• The Geelong ME/CFS Support Group organised a table in a local shopping centre with information, merchandise and a donation tin.
• Three friends in the UK are planning to ride 900 miles to raise awareness of ME/CFS and raise money for ME Research UK.

Distribute blue ribbons to key community figures

A member of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) came up with a simple but effective way of promoting ME/CFS during Awareness week. Each year, she sends a blue ribbon with a short letter to twenty people encouraging them to show their support for ME/CFS by wearing the ribbon on International ME/CFS Awareness Day, May 12.

The letters are adressed to family members, friends, community leaders and government representatives and provides brief information on ME/CFS, how the condition has personally impacted her life, and where to find further information.

A sample of the letter is available for your own use, in rich text format, Word 2003, Word 2007 and PDF format.  Blue ribbons are available to purchase for $2 each here.

 Encourage donations at your events

"Each year, our family hosts a Christmas Party for friends and neighbours. For many years now traditionally, this has been an occasion where we exchange gifts. But, last year, we did something different. Our guests were given the choice of either ‘bringing a gift as usual’ or ‘making a donation to ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)’. We told our friends that we would not provide them with a gift and that we would instead make a donation to the Organisation.

"ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) provided me with Christmas donation forms and information brochures, which I placed on a table with a festive-looking donation box. Our guests were enthusiastic about this idea and so in total, including our own donation, we raised $400."

This is a fantastic idea for your own functions; if it interests you we have created a couple of forms that you can use: one for Christmas celebrations, and one for birthday celebrations. If you would like us to arrange another type of form, please let us know.

Examples

Supporters can raise funds also by setting up an Everyday Hero fundraising page and letting friends, family and Facebook friends know. Here is an example of one of our members efforts.

The Windsor Dance Group donated their takings from their Good Friday Dance, details here.

Contribute to ‘Emerge’

We are constantly seeking new articles for Emerge, and contributions from members are welcome and greatly appreciated. It can be as simple as a few paragraphs about your daily life, how you’ve made progress in living with ME/CFS, and things that make your days enjoyable. Please send contributions to admin@mecfs-vic.org.au.

All libraries keep a collection of periodicals; why not suggest they add Emerge to their collection? By sending old copies of Emerge to your local library with an introductory letter, you're creating an opportunity to raise awareness in your local community.

Buy products for sale

ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) has a small range of products for sale to assist in our awareness raising and fundraising. Blue ribbons, 'My Health' organisers and key resource books on ME/CFS are available for sale all year round; Christmas cards are available from September onwards. The latest product listing and order form is available here.

Support partners of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria)

ME/CFS Australia (Victoria) is a member of the Ritchies Community Benefit Card program, which means that when you shop at a Ritchies supermarket, 1% of your total grocery spend can be donated back to the organisation by scanning your card, at no extra cost to you. Contact your local Ritchies store for an application form.

The organisation has also teamed up with Aussie Farmers Direct, a company that provides groceries delivered directly to your door. Orders can be placed on their website.

ekAgra Yoga provides specialised yoga courses for people with ME/CFS and fibromyalgia. Discounts are available for members of ME/CFS Australia (Victoria). Click here for more information.

Of course if there’s something not listed here that you’d like to do regarding raising awareness of ME/CFS, please call us on (03) 9791 3100 to discuss how we can help you.

Thank you for your support!