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ME/CFS San Diego is now a 501c3 public charity!
From 2022 to 2025, ME/CFS San Diego Volunteers and Supporters helped us produce and distribute over 1300 ME/CFS Educational and Fun Treat Bags
Some of our Swag Bag Tags
In 2022, ME/CFS San Diego transitioned from providing thousands of ME/CFS-themed surgical caps, masks, and ear savers and an enormous quantity of sanitizer (and ME/CFS educational flyers) with priority to healthcare workers and at-risk communities. We started our free swag bag program - made possible through the hard work and dedication of our volunteers and community donations!
And Educational Info
Volunteers made, packaged, labeled, and distributed bags with a variety of items, including but not limited to: Surgical Caps Pens Tissues Sanitizer
Lanyard Kisses Cookies Notepads
Cooling Neck Wraps Totes
Nail File Ear Saver Headbands
Lip Balm Tic Tacs Life Savers
Flaxseed Pillows
Swag Bag Items and Bags
In 2025, we are winding down our distribution of free swag bags (we will have donated over 1300 treat bags to healthcare professionals, medical and healthcare professional schools, and different community projects) for other projects.
From 2022-2024 ME/CFS San Diego participated in San Diego Gives! A Day of local Giving and last year we joined in on their local Day of Service!!!
On Thursday, September 8th 2022, our community will come together for a special 24- hour online fundraiser called San Diego Gives. ME/CFS San Diego is thrilled to take part in this local day of giving. Can you help us reach our $2000 goal before Thursday 9/8 at midnight? Because of you, we have been able to donate over 5,500 ME/CFS-themed masks with priority to local health care workers and are working on several different ways of raising awareness, improving medical access and services for ME/CFS patients and educating healthcare workers. Please ensure this important work can continue for days and years to come, by donating online.
ME/CFS San Diego's San Diego Gives Page
The power of community cannot be underestimated. Thank you for your continued generosity and support!
ME/CFS stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. ME/CFS San Diego volunteers and supporters have been working hard to produce, package and distribute ME/CFS-themed swag. Our 2022 Awareness Action goal is to distribute our ME/CFS-themed swag and informational flyers to healthcare organizations, healthcare educational institutions, healthcare researchers and providers, legislators, public health, disability support organizations and potential patients to improve awareness of and education about ME/CFS in order to improve services and medical access for ME/CFS patients. We started distributing our swag bags in May 2022 to celebrate ME/CFS International Awareness Day as well as ME/CFS Awareness month but this is an ongoing event as we try to reach as many people.
"Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is a systemic neuroimmune condition characterized by post-exertional malaise (a reduction in functioning and a severe worsening of symptoms after even minimal exertion). It causes dysregulation of the immune, nervous, and energy metabolism systems. It is often triggered in susceptible people after viral infections." (https://www.meaction.net/about/what-is-me/) Currently, there are no cures or medical therapies to treat ME/CFS and only about 5% of people ever recover.
Current estimates are that a possible 1 in 10 COVID patients might develop ME/CFS potentially doubling the number of ME/CFS patients.
Resources
Volunteers from the San Diego area are invited to join our ME/CFS 2020 PPE and Awareness Action Facebook group.
If you have ME/CFS (or are a caretaker of someone with ME/CFS) from the San Diego area, please apply to join ME/CFS San Diego's facebook group.
Please consider donating to help us provide ME/CFS Awareness- themed PPE with priority for healthcare workers.
2024 ME/CFS San Diego Highlights
Launched the UCSD Graduate Student ME/CFS Essay Contest: Invited UCSD graduate students to explore innovative research and advocacy related to ME/CFS.
Participated in San Diego Gives and held our first Day of Service: Organized a service project in connection with San Diego Gives, assembling ME/CFS-themed swag bags for distribution to healthcare workers and community organizations.
Featured in The San Diego Union-Tribune: ME/CFS San Diego was featured in an August 27, 2024, article about the San Diego Gives fundraising campaign and participating nonprofits.
Expanded healthcare professional education and outreach: Worked with Bateman-Horne Center and Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) to support ME/CFS education for primary care providers. Jennifer Bell, Nurse Practitioner, presented on ME/CFS through FHCSD’s Practical Pearls for the Primary Care Clinician educational program.
Connected with community health professionals: Worked with San Diego State University’s Institute for Public Health and Bateman-Horne Center on a continuing education seminar for community health workers. Also connected with the San Diego County Promotores Coalition to share ME/CFS information with its network.
Distributed ME/CFS educational materials and hand sanitizers: Shared ME/CFS information and supplies with healthcare professionals and community organizations, including preparing more than 55 bags for distribution through a Scripps primary care leadership contact.
Expanded outreach to schools and educators: Contacted San Diego County school districts and education offices about ME/CFS awareness, chronic illness, and student attendance challenges. San Diego Unified School District’s nursing leadership responded and agreed to share information with school nurses, its consulting physician, and its attendance resource nurse.
Advocated for pediatric ME/CFS recognition and support: Engaged with legislative offices regarding the exclusion of pediatric ME/CFS patients from California Regional Center eligibility lists and explored opportunities to bring the issue before the state bipartisan Rare Disease Caucus.
Advocated for improved disability policy: Continued outreach to elected representatives, the Social Security Administration, and other government offices regarding ME/CFS and Social Security disability guidelines.
Built relationships with UC San Diego School of Medicine: Continued discussions with the School of Medicine’s dean’s office about opportunities for ME/CFS education, awareness, and longer-term engagement with the medical community.
Engaged with the American Academy of Pediatrics: Contacted the AAP regarding the inclusion of ME/CFS among chronic conditions on HealthyChildren.org and the need to update outdated information. The AAP responded that staff were working on the requested updates.
Pursued broader public health recognition: Contacted California legislative offices about the need for ME/CFS to be included in California public health disease and condition listings, helping improve recognition of the disease in public health planning and resources.
Hosted an online educational event: Hosted a Zoom event for the U.S. Myalgic Encephalomyelitis & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) group.
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