Title
Honoring Alice Salomon Bast, the president and founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, and congratulating her on receiving the 90th annua1 Philadelphia Award.
Body
WHEREAS, Philadelphian Alice Salomon Bast founded the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) in 2003, and her contributions to Philadelphia and the entire celiac community have changed millions of lives; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bast's own diagnosis of celiac disease ignited her passion to help the estimated three million Americans with the disease; and
WHEREAS, The NFCA has a dual mission: to raise awareness of celiac disease and reduce the time to diagnosis, and to raise funds for education and facilitate research that will improve the quality of life of those who suffer; and
WHEREAS, Under Ms. Bast's leadership, the NFCA has worked aggressively to impact the rate of diagnosis of celiac disease which has gone from a staggering average of eleven years to as low as six years among the one in 100 people it effects; and
WHEREAS, Ms. Bast worked with the FDA to define a standard for gluten-free. It is because of Ms. Bast's tireless efforts over the last decade that the words "gluten free" and "celiac disease" are a normal part of our vocabulary, and that these products are appropriately labeled and readily available to consumers, allowing safe eating by celiac sufferers; and
WHEREAS, Under Ms. Bast's leadership, the NFCA developed the Gluten-Free Resource Education and Awareness Training (GREAT) program, which trains members of the restaurant industry on how to effectively offer patrons safe gluten-free food options. Because of this program, sufferers of celiac disease are able to dine in restaurants without worrying they are going to become sick; and
WHEREAS, Alice Bast has made the city of Philadelphia a national leader in addressing celiac health. Ms. Bast inaugurated Philadelp...
Click here for full text