Day 1 of National Psoriasis Foundation’s National Volunteer Conference (#NVC15) was a fashion nightmare, really emotional, and extremely inspiring – all at the same time.
A Fashion Nightmare
The day started with an early morning meeting for community ambassador training. Thinking I should wear my ambassador T-shirt, I proudly sported the NPF swag, threw on a pair of jeans, and headed out the door. I should also mention that I lathered my hair up in greasy scalp psoriasis medicine. I figured I would wash it out and pretty myself up before the evening reception when I would see more people. I also used very little make-up since the psoriasis on my lips was starting to flare again.
My fashion statement was definitely not my best choice of the day. Not only did I see far more people than I anticipated, I also had no less than three photo ops (ambassadors, psobloggers, #NVC15 planning committee), all while looking extremely unkempt next to well-dressed, highly-stylized individuals. I tried to sneak in the back rows for the photos, but that really wasn't working. I just kept telling myself that I was with my psofamily, and they understood what it was like to have one of those days.
On the upside, I got so many compliments about the way I looked for the evening reception. Too bad I didn't get a single photo to document it.
Very Emotional
Imagine not seeing for two years the group of people who understands you better than yourself, and then seeing them all at once. When I walked into the ambassadors meeting, I felt an extreme rush of excitement, hope and renewed faith in our work towards a common goal – a cure for psoriatic disease.
We all come from different walks of life, but we never lose hope that our grassroots work will one day help find a cure. But we know our work would never make a difference if we didn't have amazing people to see it through. The support from the NPF staff is extraordinary. At every turn, I've been encouraged, thanked, and genuinely appreciated for every little thing I do. They deserve a standing ovation for their amazing work in the psoriatic community.
Speaking of support, I can't forget to mention the amazing psobloggers and Janssen for the sponsoring the social media workshop. I was also thrilled to finally meet some wonderful people that I had gotten to know over our monthly planning calls for this conference. Meeting in person was fantastic! What a truly overwhelming and emotional morning!
Extremely Inspiring
At the morning meetings and again at the evening reception, I had the chance to meet so many new people. I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to add conference attendees who were recently diagnosed and parents and children with psoriasis to my psofamily. We spent time chatting, telling stories, sharing ideas, and exchanging contact information. This only happens every two years, so I had to make the most of the short time we had together. And I did!
You may be asking where my son was in all of this hustle and bustle. Now that he’s 17, I don’t have to keep two eyes on him 24/7. As part of the youth track planning committee, he helped out with set up for the children’s and teens’ portions of the conference.
Later, we all connected again at the evening reception where Andy and I met friends, chatted with sponsors, and had some amazing desserts at the chocolate fountain. And though it’s hard to concentrate on anything other than chocolate – especially when it is cascading down in a rich, mouthwatering fountain of awesomeness – nothing compared to finding out what others are doing across the country to spread awareness and help facilitate a cure. I'm so proud the volunteers and their unbelievable work to further the NPF's mission!
Speaking of awesome people, Alisha Bridges was awarded NPF's Outstanding Volunteer Leadership Award. Not only was this community ambassador at the helm of the inaugural Team NPF Walk in Atlanta, she also is a wiz at spreading awareness on social media through her Being Me In My Own Skin blog and championing her “Psoriasis Psuperheroes.” (Andy and I were honored to be two of her psuperheroes!)
Other finalists included Todd Bello and Jason and Rachel Lichten – all truly amazing people! And I’m humbled to round-out the finalists. Read about all of these great volunteers and be inspired by their work and dedication, as I was all weekend long.
