Advocates/Volunteer Vs Just someone off the street...

[tatteredtoo]

I'm pretty new to the boards so I don't know all the "rules" concerning stuff like this. I've advocated helpher.org for over a year now, I just didn't realize that there was a forum here. I asked about brochures and stuff to help bring awareness to HG, and a couple of the women here have pointed some out to me that I can print out. I talked to my husband about it, and we're planning to print them out (My husband's work is very supportive of non profit or charitable organizations, so we're hoping that they'll cover the cost of printing a lot of brochures in color - they've been the storage warehouse for Operation Give, for example, at http://www.operationgive.com ) and I'm going to call my old midwife on Monday and ask if I can come meet with her about hyperemesis and see if she'll talk to the other ob's and gynos in her office about leaving some brochures and info with them. I'm also going to try taking them to the clinic I went to while pregnant with my first son and recieved mediocre care for my condition, and try to help educate them a little more, and also leave informative stuff for them, too.
In doing this, I want to make sure it's ok that I can say, "I'm an advocate for the HER Foundation," or "I'm a volunteer for the HER foundation." etc, so that I'm taken a little more seriously than, "I just wanted to give you some info packets," or "I found this one website..." I think it sounds a little more official/professional/and just all around more serious to actually represent the HER foundation, do we need permission to do this?
-Tina

[Gail]

You know Tina , I don't know. But I think your efforts to help other women who are suffering with Hg is is awsome. Big to you!!

[tatteredtoo]

Thanks Gail! I have dealt with depression on and off ever since my first experience with HG in November of 2003, and I'd been crying for two days reading these forums and resurfacing feelings I had had, and making realizations about things that have been caused by my HG and I honestly haven't felt this good since before November of '03. I feel like I can help make a difference for others and I really want to... but since the HER Foundation is the only organization that I know of that has brought so much awareness and information, support, etc. to other women about Hyperemesis, I want to go about publicizing it in the right way.

[Gail]

Tina, have you tried pm'ing Kimber? you might get a faster response that way.

[aaronsmommy]

I think that sounds like a great idea. Do try pm'ing Kimber and she can tell you what words to use.

[tatteredtoo]

Thanks guys! I just pm'd Kimber, I'll post here with a response incase anyone else wants to hear the answer, too!

[carla]

Did anything every come of this Tina? I developed my own brochure and gave it to our local hospital, but nothing has ever come of it????? A bit frustrating.

[Kimber]

Hi Ladies. We always appreciate very much the efforts to spread the word about HG and will do whatever we can to assist you. Probably the best idea would be to say you volunteered to distribute these brochures to health professionals for the HER Foundation... Does that work? I think it gives you the credibility you need to open doors. We have new brochures in other languages in process. We hope to have them up on the site in the near future.

Thanks as always for your support of this foundation and for your willingness to help others.

Kimber