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What is an OI Foundation Support Group?
- Support Groups are community based
groups of people who are affected by OI.
- Support Groups are required to
meet 2 times a year; additional meetings are encouraged.
- Groups vary in size.
- Each group has a leader or a team of
co-leaders.
Support Groups and Support Group Leaders are very important!
The
Support Group Leader is the key person who:
- Connects
the OI Foundation to the local community
- Reports
the needs and interests of the local community to the OI Foundation
- Connects
people in the local community to each other.
What does a Support Group leader do?
- Plans and makes arrangements for the meetings
- Notifies the OI Foundation before each meeting so it
can be posted on the online calendar and an e-mail announcement sent
- Keeps a list of group members
- Sends a report to the OI Foundation office after each
meeting
- Agrees to have their name contact information posted
on the OI Foundation website
Note: Listing
a phone number on the website is optional
Note: To
protect privacy, the OI Foundation advises Support Group Leaders to set up a separate G-mail or Hot-mail
account for support group business
- Participates in OIF national
projects such as OI Awareness Week
How can I start a new group?
Contact the OI Foundation
Office by email at Bonelink@oif.org
or by telephone (301-947-0083 or 800-981-2663) to receive a Support Group Leader Kit.
To start a group, you will be
asked to:
- Fill out a Registration Form
- Identify the geographic area that your group would
serve; this can be a city, county or state
- Write a letter introducing yourself to potential
group members
- Locate a meeting place that is free of charge and
accessible to all
Is help available from the OI Foundation?
The Foundation will support you at
every step! The Support Group Leader
Kit provides detailed information on starting a group and keeping it
going. In addition, an OI Foundation staff person will be available to answer
questions, and assist you. In addition the OI Foundation will:
- Send email announcements to people in your state for
all meetings
- Put you in touch with other group leaders
- Help setting up a Facebook page for your support
group
- Provide you with information about OI
- Provide training as part of each National Conference and
as other opportunities come up
- Provide insurance for all meetings listed on the
online calendar
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