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WELCOME TO THE JOY PROJECT
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OUR MISSION
The Joy Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit, grassroots organization based on the philosophy of using real-world, workable solutions to end the epidemic of eating disorders. We work towards reducing the rate and severity of eating disorders by supporting and conducting research, education, and support programs.

The Joy Project does not seek to replace or discourage traditional or current treatments, but to expand the options for treatment. We seek to make treatment options more accessible to anyone affected and find and implement ways to make treatment more effective. The Joy Project seeks to empower individuals with eating disorders to be active participants in their own recovery.

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Free Eating Disorder Support Group Meetings in St Paul and Minneapolis

Treatment Centers and Clinics: The forms for inclusion in our upcoming treatment directory can be downloaded here: Residential/Inpatient Day/Outpatient Our online treatment directory is under construction and will be launched very soon!







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07.16.08
SAMHSA and TJP Partnering for Consumer-Driven Discussion of EDs
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services, Office of Consumer Affairs, in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health, has invited The Joy Project to participate in its "Food For Thought" series. The purpose of the series is to provide information on issues faced by consumers of various mental health services, in order to provoke discussion, increase understanding, and outline paths for future change. The Joy Project will be representing consumers of Eating Disorders treatment services this December at a presentation at the SAMHSA offices in Rockville, MD.

07.10.08
Introducing Our New Online Book Club!
The Joy Project is pleased to announce its new online book club! The online book club is a place where you can join others in reading and discussing books that may help you better understand yourself and/or aid in your recovery from an eating disorder. Our first book club selection is Eating in the Light of the Moon by Dr. Anita Johnston. Please join us in reading and discussing this powerful and inspirational book about how women can overcome eating issues. When viewing/purchasing this book, please use the following link so that the Joy Project gets credit/proceeds for the referral:


Eating in the Light of the Moon $16.95
By weaving practical insights and exercises through a rich tapestry of multicultural myths, ancient legends, and folktales, Johnston teaches women...


Once you have the book, visit to view and comment on discussion questions. Discussion questions will be posted by July 15th. Read and discuss at your own pace. A new book club selection will be announced in October or when discussion dies down for the current selection. If you have any questions or issues with the websites/links, feel free to email Lindsay at lindsay@joyproject.org.

03.01.08
Jessica Weiner Honors The Joy Project with her "Actionist of the Month" Award
Best-selling author, advice columnist and self-esteem expert Jessica Weiner has honored The Joy Project and Andrea Roe (Author of You are Not Alone) as Actionists of the Month on jessicaweiner.com This honor is given to individuals and organizations who have led by example and inspired others to take action to make the world a better place.

02.01.08
Announcing our 2008 Board of Directors
We are very excited to announce the results of our elections for our Board of Directors for 2008! Previous board members- Joy Nollenberg, Serena Iacono, Justin Novak, and MJ Gilbert- will now be joined by a few other fantastic individuals:
Leslie Murray, MD, MPH, has a wide variety of personal and professional experience in the field of eating disorders. She is a fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Iowa, and her special area of interest is eating disorders in minority populations.
Renee Worke, JD is a district judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Along with her tremendous professional achievements, she is also active in various community organizations and advisory boards.
Tracey Sullivan, J.D. has been involved with various activities and non-profit organizations, including public school mentoring projects, tutoring reading and language arts to children and adults, senior community outreach programs, and coaching self-improvement skills to clients served by a battered women's shelter.

01.07.08
Upcoming Projects
We've got some exciting endeavors planned for this new year!  We're welcoming new staff members, including our Yoga Instructor, Meghan McAndrews, and new support group leader Lindsay Wittrock. One of our most exciting events will be taking place in the fall as we team up with The Emily Program (a treatment center in the Twin Cities area), the University of Minnesota Eating Disorders Research Lab (led by Scott Crow, MD, former President of the Academy of Eating Disorders), and members of The Joy Project's support groups and message boards who have successfully overcome eating disorders themselves. We'll be bringing together eating disorder researchers, treatment providers, and survivors as experts on their own perspective, in the hopes of fostering a greater understanding of eating disorders, and identifying new strategies for future research and treatment developments. 
We've been collaborating with the U of Minnesota Eating Disorders Research Lab on plans to embark on a web-based study of individuals who have recovered from eating disorders, both with and without the aid of ED-specific treatment. 
As always, if you would like to get involved with The Joy Project, please contact us at volunteercoordinator@joyproject.org 

11.02.07
Good Neighbor Award
Executive Director Joy Nollenberg was the recipient of WCCO Radio's "Good Neighbor Award" on November 2, 2007. The Good Neighbor Award is awarded to individuals who have dedicated a significant amount of time and effort to the greater good through volunteering. Congrats, Joy!

08.10.07
New Downloadable Site Content!
* You can download a Volunteer Registration Form and submit it to us via email or mail! Click here
* Add Our Eating Disorder Awareness Banners to your personal website or myspace profile! Click here

* Tools for Recovery

08.07.07
The Joy Project's Director is 'Inspiring Woman of the Month' on Eating-Disorder-Information.com!
Eating Disorder Information is a site created and run by Andrea Roe, author of "You Are Not Alone: The Book of Companionship For Women Struggling With Eating Disorders. Joy's story will be featured in the August issue of the You Are Not Alone email support letter. If you would like to sign up for Andrea's inspirational newsletter, visit the site at www.eating-disorder-information.com

06.14.07
Our trip to Washington, DC was a success !!!
Joy, Congressman Jim Ramstad, and Serena meet in Washington DC to discuss Mental Health ParityWe met with Congressman Jim Ramstad (representing our home state of Minnesota), who is leading the battle, along with Patrick Kennedy, to get Mental Health Parity laws passed in every state. He had a great recovery story of his own, and we will be staying in contact as we work together towards better access to treatment as well as better quality of treatment programs.   

We attended the Mental Health America National Conference, where we were able to attend workshops aimed at organizations working to reduce stigma and increase treatment possibilities for those affected by mental health issues. We met members of other organizations that we plan to collaborate with in the future. 
The Joy Project's Assistant Director, Serena Iacono, was honored with an mPower Youth award at the closing dinner ceremony.  
We were also invited to participate in focus groups with Mental Health America, and had the opportunity to socialize with some amazing people that were fellow award winners at the conference.
We are so thankful to Mental Health America and mPower for sponsoring the trip and making the week exciting and productive for us. We are also grateful to Congressman Ramstad and his assistants for meeting with us and for his willingness to continue working with us in the future. Thanks also to the many wonderful people who also attended the conference, and who continue to work towards our shared goal of better mental health care for all who need it!

05.10.07
We're Heading to Washington, DC !!!
The Joy Project's Assistant Director, Serena Iacono, has been chosen to receive an mPower award in recognition for her contributions to the field of mental health through her personal life as well as her work for The Joy Project. The mPower Outstanding Youth Awards are awarded to individuals between the ages of 13-23 who have done outstanding work in using their own life and experiences to help combat the stigma of mental health. The awards will be presented at the annual conference for Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association)
Serena Iacono and The Joy Project's Executive Director, Joy Nollenberg, will receive a free trip to the MHA National Conference on June 6-9th, 2007, where Serena will be presented with the award. During their trip, both will have a chance to speak with legislators on Capitol Hill.
Congrats, Serena!

03.30.07Eating Disorder Awareness Bracelet
New Eating Disorder Awareness Bracelets Now Available
Women For Hope is now selling eating disorder awareness
bracelets.10% of the proceeds will be donated to The Joy
Project. The bracelets are high-quality, made with Swarovski
crystals. Please visit www.womenforhope.com for more
info or to purchase a bracelet.

03.22.07
A New Eating Disorder Awareness Affiliate
Climbing for Awareness is our new sister organization, created by Justin Novak, who is a member of The Joy Project staff. Justin's motivations for starting this organization stem from his experience in supporting a loved one with an eating disorder, as well as his work in the emergency medical field. Justin plans to bring awareness of the TRUTHS about eating disorders to the general public by attempting to climb the highest mountain summits on each continent. He is joined in directing the project by Ashley Roome, as well as other eating disorder survivors and supporters who wish to aid in the fight. To learn more, visit www.climbingforawareness.com

03.06.07Joy Project volunteers at a fundraising event
Thank you to everyone who participated in National Eating Disorders Awareness Week activities!

Despite the huge snowstorm that shut down everything for a day or two, the week was a success! A big THANK YOU to Serena Iacono for coordinating NEDAW, and thank you as well to Francesca Heir, Olivia Tise, Justin Novak, Allie Michelson, Lauren Eriksson, Heather Dombrovski, Angela Fugleberg, Ilyssa Siegel, and Angela Studt for lending a hand and helping to support the cause! We appreciate it!

02.03.07
Our Director featured on FM107

FM107 is a radio station in the Twin Cities area. The Get Real Girls airs every Saturday morning from 8-10am on that station. Every week, the nominate one person from the community to be their 'Get Real Girl of the Week'. They have chosen The Joy Project's Director, Joy Nollenberg, as a weekly Get Real Girl! Joy was interviewed via telephone during the show on Saturday, February 24th.

02.03.07
Article on The Joy Project featured on Suite101.com

Check out the article that Lori Henry wrote about The Joy Project for her column: Intro and Article Lori Henry is the author of Silent Screams, among other popular works.

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