June 2013 Community Newsletter

Dear Amyloidosis Family and Friends,

Bill Drayton is credited for bringing the term “social entrepreneur” into mainstream in the 80’s, although the concept has been around for a while. Through his efforts, social entrepreneurship has taken shape into the process of pursuing innovative solutions to social problems.

Social entrepreneurs are bold, relentless and driven people who adopt a mission to create and sustain social value. They are not constrained by resources on hand: they innovate. They are not cowed by difficulties: they learn from these.

We at Ben’s Friends strive to create and sustain these values. We raise awareness and connect resources. We don’t see you, our members, as passive beneficiaries, but as part of the solution. We trust that your hands-on experience in dealing with your condition is a major factor in the equation and, collectively, can make the difference. As David Bornstein wrote in his book How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas: “Social entrepreneurs… begin with the assumption of competence and unleash resources in the communities they’re serving.”

This month, we have brought you another valuable tool to pursuing our mission of raising awareness and providing support: the Ben’s Friends iPhone mobile app. We are very proud of this innovation which was hailed by TechCrunch as an application that brings “an impact on a more fundamental level”. This app will make available all of Ben’s Friends services even when you are on the go, and will also serve as platform for future upgrades.

Download the Ben’s Friends iPhone mobile app now!

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IN THIS ISSUE

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AMYLOIDOSIS COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Welcome New Members

Featured Content

Featured Member

Picture of the Month

Community Stat

BEN'S FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

Ben's Friends iPhone App Out on iTunes

TechCrunch Recognizes Ben's Friends

GoodCauseTv Interviews Scott Orn

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Welcome New Members

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You made the right choice in joining our community. Now, you have as a resource a whole community of people who share your experience and have thrived!

Optimize your use of this resource by:

Participation. Blog your story. Join the discussions on the Forum page. Post pictures and videos on the Media page and share your location on the Member map to help us know you better.

Subscribe to the clutter-free BF Newsletter if you haven’t. You can always do so by ticking the box on your profile information.

Our FAQs on Privacy section will add to your peace of mind and brief you on the measures we take to provide a fun and secure place for everyone. Check it out every now and then.

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AMYLOIDOSIS COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

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Featured Content: Beautiful Twin Boys

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Check out Louisa Marion's wonderful amyloidosis-and-motherhood story and congratulate her daughter Adria for her beautiful twin boys.

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Featured Member: Carolyn

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Diagnosed with Amyloidosis, Carolyn joined our group to find real inspiration and support. Why don't you drop her a message and encourage her through her journey?

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Picture of the Month

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Check out this beautiful picture quote from Living with PSC's Pandora!

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Community Stat:

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Number of Members as of June 1, 2013 : 91

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BEN'S FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH

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Ben's Friends iPhone App Out on iTunes

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Our much awaited Ben’s Friends iPhone app is now available on Apple’s online store, iTunes! The app allows members to get in touch with the community anytime and anywhere to avail of support. To view and download the app, click on this link. 5-Star App Reviews in iTunes are greatly appreciated!

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TechCrunch Recognizes Ben's Friends

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The world's largest technology blog,TechCrunch, recognized Ben’s Friends effort to bring together patients with rare diseases and and provide support. The article noted our wonderful moderator community that is 170+ people strong who make all the support possible. Great job team!

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GoodCauseTv Interviews Scott Orn

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GoodCauseTV features our very own Ben's Friends Co-Founder, Scott Orn, for an interview about how Ben's Friends has been doing an awesome job on supporting communities and continuously providing amazing help to our members. Watch the GoodCauseTV Interview here.

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