Dear Friends,
The majority of efforts related to OCD Louisiana during 2018 were focused on establishing the group as an official affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and garnering support in the community.
The six board members worked to create the affiliate’s bylaws and articles of incorporation, which were filed with the Louisiana Secretary of State in May. At that time, we filed with the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, which was approved in June. We signed our affiliate agreement with the IOCDF in October and had our kick-off call with the IOCDF in November.
Although we were not an official affiliate until October, OCD Louisiana board members reached out to the community throughout the year to bring public awareness to our efforts to establish the non-profit, solicit suggestions regarding to community needs, and recruit interested community members to participate in the affiliate. We reached out to statewide and local mental healthcare associations, mental health related departments at local universities, mental health providers and physicians, and the community at large to complete an interest survey. We also held meetings open to the public seeking input and established a presence on Facebook. Lastly, we hosted a table at a mental health awareness basketball game and provided comments in a piece on mental health in the local newspaper. We held our first fundraising event in June, which was OCD Louisiana’s first official 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk. Although we were fairly small in number (12 walkers), we raised nearly $1300. In July, four board members attended the IOCDF’s annual conference, where we sat at the IOCDF booth, held a board meeting, and attended the Annual Affiliate Meeting.
During this coming year, we plan to increase our online presence by creating a website to connect our community with the IOCDF’s resources, list events, and provide educational information about OCD and related disorders. We hope to expand our social media presence as well, by increasing our use of Facebook and Twitter, and create an Instagram page. We will be reaching out to local hospital systems and establishments in the community seeking sponsorship of support groups, prior to or after which we will likely provide presentations on relevant topics. We will also be giving presentations to medical students and other professionals. With regards to fundraising, we plan to host another 1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk, co-host a “give-back” night at a local restaurant chain, and create an “exposure house” to provide awareness about OCD for children in the community.
We are very grateful for the IOCDF’s assistance and financial support this year and look forward to continuing our work with the parent organization.
Warm regards,
Kristin E. Fitch, Ph.D.
President
OCD Louisiana