Support Groups provide a forum to share feelings, concerns, information, and as well as a place to offer peer support and encouragement. Solicitations or research projects are not conducted at support group meetings.

This schedule is subject to change. Before attending a group for the first time, please call to verify date and time. Groups are free of charge and open to everyone.

E-mail support group
We have started an e-mail support group for those patients and families that are not close to one of our existing support groups or those who would like to participate in addition to attending a support group. There is a weekly topic of discussion by email and everyone is free to comment or ask a question at any time. Participants in the e-mail support group can send e-mails as often as they’d like. If you are interested in being part of an email support group, please contact the office at 856-779-7225 or via e-mail at cferara@scleroderma.org.

Yahoo Group created for Scleroderma

You can now chat with others who are affected by this disease online. This Yahoo group was created for the Delaware Valley Chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation. The purpose of the group is to provide a forum to share feelings, concerns, information, and as well as a place to offer peer support and encouragement. The group is fairly new, so we depend on you to spread the word and encourage other patients, caregivers, friends and family to join.

To join this group, you will need to have a Yahoo email account or you can create a free account. To sign up for a Yahoo email account, go to www.yahoo.com and click on the link on the right side for Free Mail: Sign Up. It just takes three easy steps and you will have an email account.

To access the group, go to www.yahoo.com and select Groups on the left column. Then on the right side, you will see Find a Yahoo! Group with the option to search. Type in scleroderma delaware valley and this group will appear. If you click on the link for the SclerodermaFoundationDelawareValleyChapter, you can then post messages and have conversations with others affected by this disease. This group was created so people can share information about the disease and share useful tips on things that help to cope and live with scleroderma.

We hope you will become a part of our group. Please spread the word.

NEW JERSEY

Burlington/Camden

2nd Thursday of the month at 1:30 pm
BurlCam Support Group
We meet at the Cherry Professional Building, 385 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill, N.J. See map.
Contact: SFDV office, 866-675-5545, DVchapter@scleroderma.org

Flemington

Fourth Monday of each month
Flemington Support Group
Hunterdon Medical Center, 2100 Wescott Dr # 101, Flemington, N.J. at 1:30 p.m. in Meeting Room D. See map and directions.
Support Group Leader: Mary Gocek, 215-942-9477. Please contact the support group leader prior to attending meeting.

Monmouth County

10:00 AM, Second Saturday of every month (except Jan, Feb, July & Aug)
Monmouth County Support Group
second floor of the Meridian Health Life Fitness, 2020 State Route 33, Neptune, New Jersey.
Support Group Leader: Marsha Niederman, 732-276-5807, mjniederman@optonline.net

Warren

Watchung Hills Support Group
7:30 p.m. first Wednesday of the month, quarterly – October 7 meeting will feature a registered dietician, Janet Hollander, who will speak about "Optimal Nutrition for Health."
Location: Trinity United Church, 118 King George Road, Warren, N.J., 732-469-5044. Map.
Support Group Leaders: Ellen Waldstein, 908-647-7266, ellw@optonline.net and Chris Frascella, 908-604-6054

Woodbury

7– 9:00 p.m. 1st Monday or Tuesday of the month, quarterly – Tuesday, March 3; Monday, June 1; Tuesday, September 1; Tuesday, December 1
Woodbury, New Jersey Support Group
Underwood Memorial Hospital, 238 S Evergreen Avenue, Woodbury, NJ, Dining Room B, First Floor.
Support Group Leader: Mary Nuzzo, 856-582-6456, marynuzz@msn.com

PENNSYLVANIA

Langhorne

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10
4th Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm. - 3/25. 4/22, 5/27, 6/24, 7/22, 8/26, 9/23, 10/28, 11/25, 12/23
Bucks County Support Group
Frankford Hospital - Bucks County, Conference Room C – ground floor, 380 N. Oxford Valley Road, Langhorne, PA 19047, 215-949-5000
Support Group Leader: Ilene Nusblatt, 215-321-1670, inusblatt@comcast.net

Norristown

6:30 p.m. fourth Wednesday of every month
Norristown Support Group
Conference room at the Montgomery Hospital Medical Center, 1330 Powell, Suite 308, Norristown, PA.
Support Group Leaders: Joanne Cipollini, work - 610-270-2703, home - 610-644-1582, jcipollini@mont-hosp.com and Andrea Balkiewicz, 610-495-7976, and1300@comcast.net

Pottstown

If anyone is interested in attending the Pottstown group, but has been unable to attend because of the time/day/location, please contact the SFDV office at 866-675-5545. In the meanwhile, there is the nearby Reading group that members can attend. For more information, please contact Dawn Batzel at 610-287-1445 or happy81070@verizon.net

Reading

Saturday, 10 a.m., March 14, May 9, July 11, September 12, and November 14, 2009
Reading Support Group
Reading Pediatrics office, 40 Berkshire Court, Wyomissing, PA 19610, Map and directions
Support Group Leader: Dawn Batzel, 610-287-1445, happy81070@verizon.net

Williamsport

1:00 p.m. first Wednesday each month (except July & August)
Williamsport Area Support Group
Life Center in the Lycoming Mall, 300 Lycoming Mall Cir # 3021, Muncy, Penn. See map and directions.
Support Group Leaders: Jayne Young, 570-323-4228, weyclu@sunlink.net, co-leader Gayle Bullock, 570-398-0551

York

Next meeting on Wednesday, July 22 at 7:00 pm.
York/Lancaster Support Group
Elmwood Mansion Conference Center, 400 Elmwood Blvd. (Corner of S. Belmont St & Elmwood Blvd), York, PA 17402, 800-436-4326.
Support Group Leaders: Jodi Graham, 717-817-8168, Graham2J@comcast.net and Kathleen Gaskell-Blankenship, 717-428-1464, karlkathleen@earthlink.net