Program Letter
Please note: PAK is available to speak at PTA or SEPTA meetings, school/day care functions to raise Food Allergy awareness. Please pass this letter on to your School District's Superintendent, School Principal, School Nurse, 504 Plan Coordinator or Day Care Director.
Dear School District Administrator,
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the School Program Manager for Protect Allergic Kids (PAK). PAK is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and a registered charity with the State of New York. I hope your previous school year went well and your preparations for the upcoming one are going smoothly. I am sure you faced many challenges last year, which included managing the safety of children with severe food allergies.
According to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), there are over 50,000 emergency room visits a year due to severe food allergies. The peanut allergy has doubled since 1997 to 1.5 million children. Food allergies are on the rise and there is no cure at this time. A recent study from Massachusetts shows that 47.9% of the administrations of epinephrine due to an allergic reaction happened in the classroom and 16.4% of the administration of epinephrine happened either on the school bus, hallway, gym, staff room, or library. This study confirms that there is too much "food" in the classroom.
It is the mission of our organization to raise food allergy awareness by promoting education, providing support to members, and most importantly, to keep children safe. Often, people have misconceptions about food allergies. We’d like to alleviate those misconceptions. Our organization has grown tremendously due to the need for support and information. PAK has presented workshops at many schools, libraries and daycares on Long Island. Parents, teachers and community members all want to learn how to keep children with food allergies safe. As you plan events and workshops for your faculty and staff next year, including Superintendent Conference Days, PTA and SEPTA meetings, as well as health fairs, you may be interested in our programs. PAK has a medical advisor and an advisory board.
PAK’s School Program is a one-hour in-service presentation that covers everything you should know about food allergies, anaphylaxis and other allergic diseases. FAAN also offers the School Food Allergy Program at www.foodallergy.org. This is a comprehensive, multimedia program that includes a video, EpiPen trainer, poster, and binder filled with more than 100 pages of information and standardized forms.
It is imperative that all adults that are responsible for the safety of a food allergic child recognize the warning signs of a food allergic reaction and anaphylaxis. They need to know what to do should an emergency occur and how to keep the learning environment safe for those children (i.e., wiping tables, safe zones).
Please visit our website at www.protectallergickids.org for further information and to see how we help our members and community. We hope you will consider implementing our program into your school for the upcoming school year.
Sincerely,
Kim Dominici
School Program Manager
Protect Allergic Kids (PAK)
PO Box 227
Holtsville, NY 11742
Disclaimer:
PAK is not a professional or medical organization. It is a group of parents sharing information and supporting each other. The discussions, meeting minutes, handouts, guest speakers, agendas, and other products of our support group do not constitute medical/legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Always discuss individual health questions and medical issues with a qualified personal physician.
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