Free To Be Me 2023

The inaugural food allergy wellness retreat from Free To Be Me. Thriving with food allergies. Connecting with others. Creating community. Feeling accepted and heard.

April 14 - 15, 2023, at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse

Casual meetup and walking tour of Distillery District, led by Richard of Muddy York Tours, on April 16

Schools are often contentious places for those with allergies, so we reclaimed Toronto’s oldest schoolhouse and made it a place for people with food allergies to thrive! The retreat focused on good mental health and strategies for managing anxiety. Naturally, the theme was disco!

Catering by Cordon Bleu-trained chef, allergy mom, and owner of Delicious! catering, chef Brenda Kwong Hing

Reviews are in for the 2023 Retreat!

"What a beautiful experience! It was so refreshing to be in a room with other people who share the same worries as I do. I felt free to share my vulnerability and garnered support. I am so happy to have a new allergy family!"

— Felicity

"I've been waiting for an event like this for YEARS in the States! With all the focus on medical research and advocacy, sometimes my individual experience as a person with food allergies gets lost in the shuffle. I am so glad that Amanda put this event together! I loved that the focus was less on my allergies than on *me* as a person. Also, Toronto was surprisingly affordable & food allergy-friendly, and I had a terrific time in the city!"

— Abigail

"This first Free to Be Me retreat was unlike any other food allergy focused event I’ve attended. The sense of community and compassion and understanding was constantly felt throughout. I left with a deeper understanding of my own needs and discovered through the workshops how to uncover the stress I carry and what to do to improve my daily life. It’s simple baby steps that can help me find my way to a happier outlook on the everyday. Thank you Amanda, well done💗"

— Janine

"Overall, this was a great retreat. It was my first time meeting other adults with allergies in person and it was nice to connect with people that really understand and respect this lifestyle because they are in it too. I loved the food, coffee, snacks and the snacks that I got to take home. "

— Genevieve

"Amanda and her team went above and beyond to make everyone feel safe and included. It was evident a lot of care and attention went into every detail from the safe snacks and meals to the terrific group sessions and guest speakers. Thank you for doing this for the allergy community, it was greatly appreciated. "

— Stacey

"A great space to feel belonged & understood! "

— Tara

"FTBM is a fantastic event that brings those with food allergies together in a safe environment. It allows those with food allergies to connect with others, building a sense of community. The food is also fantastic. "

— Rohan

"I had the absolute pleasure of working with Amanda at her Free To Be Me retreat as the Friday night DJ and in facilitating the expressive arts therapy workshop on Saturday. When Amanda initially approached me with her idea of the retreat I knew she had something truly special up her sleeve, however witnessing it actually come to life totally exceeded what I could have EVER imagined. Amanda created such a beautifully inclusive, informative and safe space for participants living with anaphylactic food allergies. Her energy throughout the process was extremely grounding, kind and professional and I feel extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to have been part of this experience. I highly recommend working with Amanda in any capacity as she is a visionary and true innovator”

— Bianca

"This event is a must attend and first of its kind! As someone living with severe food allergies for 27 years, I met the food allergy family here that I didn’t know I needed. Amanda and the amazing team went above and beyond to create an event that was engaging, safe, and intersectionally inclusive. We laughed, we cried, we learned, and we ate so well! I hope to see you there!"

— Alyssa

"The Free to Be Me conference was a wonderful, inclusive, and deeply heart-warming experience. As an adult with food allergies it can be hard to find a peer group. This conference provided that, and it was an incredible, joyful experience. "

— Kate

"I had a wonderful time at the retreat. It was great to meet people that completely understand your fears and the obstacles you face daily trying to protect your child and giving them the confidence to thrive as individuals. It really felt like a sense of community even though many have just met for the first time in person. Thank you so much Amanda for organizing this retreat. You are true inspiration to all of us within the Allergy community. "

— Jennifer

"The food allergy wellness retreat was amazing!! I made the trip from California to Toronto and it was sooo worth it. Hanging out with other people with food allergies at this event was so healing. I felt so seen. 💙"

— Jessica

"Very fun to see other people with allergies and interact with them knowing that they have had to deal with the same struggles I have. It's very inclusive and a great place to go!"

— Aaron

"I think Amanda’s conference is unequivocally valuable to the food allergy community. There is nothing like being in a room full of people who understand food allergies, and I cannot wait to attend next year. "

— Michael

"This retreat was so well done! The sessions had a great balance of info, tips, and examples to put into practice. The pacing was good - there was time for everything and didn't seem rushed or drawn out. The food was delicious and the swag bag and samples were amazing! "

— Bethany

""The retreat was just the event my soul needed. It was refreshing, therapeutic, and just plain fun! I was cautiously optimistic when I booked my ticket to Toronto from Orlando, FL, but I am SO happy I did! I loved getting to meet so many allergy adults, kids, and advocates. This event took inclusion to a whole new level and everybody was seen and heard to their comfort levels. Amanda is a wonderful person who has thoughtfully designed this event for the allergy community. In my opinion, she dreamed up the perfect event and it’s truly a testament to her strength as an allergy adult. Definitely make a plan to come out annually! You will not be disappointed. <3 "

— Shannon

Free To Be Delicious! eCookbook

The Free To Be Delicious! eCookbook features all of Chef Brenda’s top allergen free recipes from the retreat, and was created in collaboration with The Zestfull and Chef Brenda Kwong Hing. Download your free copy by clicking the link below.

Download the ecookbook

Living our best lives

Wherever you are on your food allergy journey - a young adult or adult with allergies, the parent of a kid with allergies, an individual or parent of someone going through a treatment program - this retreat is for you.

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Workshops and speaker sessions

Morning & Afternoon Guided Meditations

Women’s Health Coach, Maryam De Groef
Set intentions, relax, repose, find calm. Maryam will lead guests through guided meditation in the morning, before the workshops, and again at the end of the day. These peaceful sessions will help us focus and process the experience.
Expressive Art Therapy

Trauma-Informed Facilitator, Bianca Lee Mondino
Express, play, release, and find peace. Food allergies come with so many emotions, from optimism to grief to anger, and beyond. Bianca will guide guests through an expressive art therapy session to deeper understand ourselves and our feelings.
Improv Your Advocacy

Acting Coaches, Karrie & Will
Boost self confidence, feel empowered, overcome fear. Advocating for yourself on a daily basis can be stressful and exhausting. Karrie & Will will inject new life into your self advocacy approach with their leadership-building session.
Building Your FA Child's Self Confidence

Anisha Angella, author of Zoey Has An Allergy, fellow adult with food allergies, and Early Childhood Education specialist with over 12 years of experience, will lead a session for parents of kids with food allergies. Parents will learn how to instill self-confidence in their children with food allergies.

Lunch and Learn with Food Allergy Canada

An educational session led by powerhouse advocacy group, FAC. What resources are available to us? What advocacy projects are in the works behind the scenes?
Psychology of Food Allergies

Tamara Hubbard, allergy-informed clinical family therapist, and founder of The Food Allergy Counselor Inc.
Tamara will be coming in from Chicago for this event! What a treat. An allergy-informed therapist can be difficult to access. This speaker session will be dedicated to the psychology of living with food allergies, and how we can make sense of complex emotions and circumstances that are unique to our community.
Teen Discussion Panel

A Q&A with members of Food Allergy Canada’s Youth Advisory Committee, where parents get to ask the questions, and learn how to best support their food allergy tween/teen with the current challenges they face.
Hear from teens what allergy life is like for them today, and strategies they use to safely navigate school, dating, travel, and their daily lives.
Mindset to Thrive

Dr. Divi Chandna is a family doctor with over 25 years of experience, she is the founder of Mind Body Spirit Center, and she is also an international speaker, author, and teacher.
Dr. Divi will be joining us from Vancouver for the event! She will be speaking to us about how mindset impacts our bodies, minds, and lives, and how we can adopt the right mindset to thrive with food allergies, and how we can allow our intuition to guide us.