Sparking the GWG Love With New Programs 

Focusing on social, learning and supporting one another in our GWG family to get together and support one another. 

I’m excited to have joined the GWG family and taken on a new role, helping develop programming. There is nothing that I love more than creating and planning something new, and that is exactly what we are up to with the GWG programming this year: Focusing on driving programs that mean something to women with IBD. In my own journey, I struggled to find resources I was really looking for or that gave me a sense of community and understanding in engaging ways. This is what we are focusing this year with the GWG programming! Continuing to foster our pillars of social, learning and supporting we are building programs and investing in those that benefit and embrace our GWG community.

Social: Chapter + Crafter: bringing back a program, while adding a new chapter. Every other month, we will switch between craft-themed and book-themed virtual events. Each will focus on a theme, great conversation, and socializing with your fellow GWG members.

Support: Love Your Guts Mail: a classic staple program of GWG to send some love to GWG girls who are in need of a pick-me-up and extra love. Continuing to enhance this program, in February we did a joint program relaunching our Crafternoon. Our first craft was “Love Letters” for those who are important in our lives or to a fellow GWG via the Love Your Guts Mail program for Valentine’s Day.

Support/Learning: the GWG Ambassadors Program is a vision currently under development, with a goal of launching in 2026. It will be a multi-faceted program to continue to educate, bond and create sister/sister connections in our GWG community. We will be building up momentum for the program as we get closer to our GWG Annual Retreat in October! Stay tuned for themed virtual events and more at our live annual retreat!

Partnering: Looking into the IBD community: At other IBD groups and partnerships we have and can continue to build as well as where we can support each other’s efforts while we create programs that are unique to the GWG mission. This also gives us the opportunity to partner with other groups. Stay tuned for more on this.

More Fun: We will also sprinkle in some more fun GWG programs like our Elfster Holiday gift exchange and more.

Keep the GWG love rolling. Once you are here, you are part of the GWG family. Thanks for embracing me and all the newbie GWGs! This is truly a one-of-a-kind group.

How to get involved? 

Join us and keep the GWG vibes rolling for our programming this year, and let us hear from you in the forum on programs you would like to see moving forward.

Keep tabs on us through our newsletters, sign up for upcoming events, or join our Facebook forum:

• Mark your calendar for upcoming programming
• Volunteer and help us run and create programs
• Look for feedback opportunities through our newsletters and the GWG Forum. We want to hear from the community!

• About The Author

Tori is a native of Rochester, NY. Her IBD journey started more than 20 years ago, when she was diagnosed with GERD and IBS with no treatment other than over-the-counter medications available. As symptoms continued, it took more than a decade to correctly diagnose her with Crohn’s Disease. Since then, it has been a journey to find the right balance of medication, with many setbacks. She has never wanted IBD to define her and spent many years approaching it with an “I can in spite of” mindset. But with recent events, she recognizes that it is a part of who she is. With that realization, she began a mission to do more—advocating, volunteering, and providing information to help others avoid going through the same struggles. Building a career in marketing communications, working in news, corporate, agency, and the optics and photonics industry. A proud mom of a young son and a Labradoodle, and a wife. She enjoys yoga, when time allows, and always looks forward to planning the next travel destination.