Having trouble reading this email? Click here to view in a browser. August 2019 Serving Indiana     Your members of Congress are heading home. Will they hear from you? Scroll down to find out how. Happy August dear friends, We hope you're having a wonderful summer. We are knee-deep in planning for our two upcoming fall events: The Walk to End Lupus Now and our 'In the Loop' Healthy Living with Lupus Symposium.  Walk teams are forming now, so be sure to register today and get your team built early. We depend on you and your team members to help us raise the money we need to continue providing valued programming for our lupus community. Our 'In the Loop' Healthy Living with Lupus Symposium provides an opportunity to meet and mingle with others who have lupus or who have loved ones with lupus. Registration is required and the cost covers breakfast, lunch and 8 exciting breakout sessions related to living better with lupus! Every year this event grows, and we love that! No matter where you live in Indiana, we hope you'll plan on joining us. We block off hotel rooms for those who would like to stay overnight. In closing, I would like to say that our community suffered a tremendous loss with the recent passing of Mrs. Letha Southern. Letha was a bright light in our tight-knit family, and she is a constant reminder of why we strive to improve the lives of those living with lupus and why we won't stop until we find a cure. Sincerely,    Walk to End Lupus Now When you take part in a Lupus Foundation of America, Indiana Chapter's Walk to End Lupus Now, you experience firsthand the power of the movement to end lupus. Join us on Saturday, October 12th, at Military Park/Canal Walk in Indianapolis to raise money for lupus research, increase awareness of lupus, and rally public support for the estimated 36,000 Hoosiers who suffer from its brutal impact. Register and form your teams here today to let the fun begin! Part of a team? Start brainstorming designs for your t-shirts so that you can participate in the t-shirt contest! Click here for contest details. Interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor for this exciting event? Check out our sponsorship brochure and exhibitor form.     In the Loop - 'Healthy Living with Lupus' Symposium  Please join us on Saturday, October 19th, at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Plainfield for the largest educational conference on lupus in Indiana. The symposium provides a variety of discussions led by physicians and other experts. All people with lupus, caregivers, family, friends, and health professionals who are interested in learning more about lupus are welcome. Attendees will be able to select topics of interest from eight morning and afternoon breakout sessions. Topics include: Nutrition on a Budget, Meditation 101, Dealing with Brain Fog, Social Security Disability, as well as a caregivers panel discussion related to caring for someone with lupus.  Tickets can be purchased here for $30 and include continental breakfast, buffet lunch, and attendee gift. Sponsor and exhibitor opportunities are also available.   Fashion Show Success The inaugural Faces of Lupus Fashion Show that has been a long-time vision of our amazing Board Chair, Carla Day, was a huge hit! Carla and fellow Board members Kelly French and Tawanna Danzie organized a lively, vibrant show featuring models with lupus which raised over $6,000 for our Chapter. Thank you to all those who made this event such a success and we hope to see you next year!    Support Group Information We hope you'll join us at one of our upcoming support group meetings. We offer both in-person support group meetings and also a Teletalk support group. The philosophy of our support groups is to provide a warm and caring environment where people with lupus, their family members, caregivers and loved ones can share their experiences, methods of coping and insights into living with lupus.  LFA support groups help develop the best coping strategies to reduce a stress that often accompanies living with a chronic illness.  Join us for our Teletalk support group by phone from the comfort of your home on the 4th Monday of every month. Share experiences, methods of coping, and insights into living with lupus! This month's meeting will be held on August 26th from 7-8pm. Registration information is available here. For information on our support groups, please visit https://www.lupus.org/indiana/support-groups. Tranquil Tuesdays As part of our Tranquil Tuesdays series, we offer free gentle yoga and tai chi classes for people with lupus and one caregiver/support person. This is seated/chair-supported yoga, but attendees are welcome to bring a yoga mat to do exercises on the floor. Another part of our Tranquil Tuesdays series is our new Facebook Live mindful meditation classes and we’re very excited that so many of you are taking advantage of this new class! All in-person yoga and tai chi classes are free but registration for your first class is required. Sign Up Now These classes are held at All Souls Unitarian Church, 5805 E. 56th Street at Channing Road, Classroom #1, Indianapolis 46226.   Class Schedule  Yoga - 2nd Tues of month  Mindful Meditation - 3rd Tues of month  Tai Chi - 4th Tues of month   Classes are from 6:30-7:30 pm.  We are looking for additional accredited yoga and tai chi instructors so that we can expand this program. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Debbie Campbell or Kayla Lockwood.   Save the Dates! Sat, Oct 12, 12:00-4:30 pm - Walk to End Lupus Now  Sat, Oct 19, 9 am-4:30 pm – In the Loop – Healthy Living with Lupus Symposium   Click the button below to become a Champion for Hope with your monthly gift of $10, $15, $25 or more to the Lupus Foundation of America, Indiana Chapter and make a difference in the lives of those affected by lupus. Your support will help bring us one step closer to our vision of a life free from lupus. Answer:   Each year, Congress is out of session for the month of August in order to give Senators and Representatives a chance to return home and hear from their constituents about the issues that matter most to them. Time away from the packed schedules of Washington allows members to connect with those they represent and learn how they can better serve their needs. Find out how to tell them your lupus story here. 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