Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 86 Kathy has also found that assisting other people with MS actually makes her feel better about herself. “Helping others is rewarding and gratifying,” Kathy said, “and also helps me not to dwell on what I cannot do, but what I can do instead!” Each of Kathy’s meetings has a theme or topic and usually consists of a guest speaker for the first hour followed by a question and answer session with discussion during the second hour. Kathy believes that people with MS need an open forum in which they can ask questions and engage in discussion and education. She notes that this discussion element is crucial because other MS-related events do not provide this opportunity in the same way as a support group meeting can. Some of the topics the group has covered this year include stress management; physical therapy; home modifications; bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction; and cognitive issues. As knowledge of Kathy’s group has grown, people have started to contact her about their interest in speaking to her group. Often, many members become so engaged that they stay after the meeting to continue discussion and connect further with each other. Kathy said they usually end up staying until the restaurant where they meet closes. As Kathy and her group members celebrate a great first year together, she is already looking ahead to next year. Some of Kathy’s goals include working to better involve care partners in the group’s activities as well as speaking about MS at schools, fire stations, police stations, and local businesses. As she reflected upon her first year as a group leader, Kathy said, “There have been members telling me this is the first time they have opened up about their MS, making this so rewarding…It is an awesome responsibility that I take seriously because people seek you out for guidance. It is also very fulfilling and gives me an opportunity to be successful in my journey with MS.” The RI Strollers MS Support Group usually meets on the last Tuesday of each month from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Corner Bakery Café, 140 Hillside Road, Cranston, RI 02920. Please contact Kathy at 401-286-8724, 401-461-4929, or kathleen.crudele@gmail.com for more information. New Support Group Meeting Flyer Designs Our new support group meeting flyers have finally arrived. We’re pleased to announce that we debuted our updated, and redesigned support group meeting flyers for our national MS support group community in May. e flyers feature a full color design with three different banner photo options creating a modern and engaging invitation to local support group meetings. As a free service to affiliated support groups, the MSF mails flyers to group members and those with MS on our mailing list to help spread the word about your monthly support group meetings. If you’d like to place an order for flyers or find out more about affiliating with the MSF, please email groupflyers@msfocus.org or call 888-673-6287.