Hi Everyone,

I am writing today to share some very important updates with you regarding the three NSA Boston Chapters – NSA Boston, NSA Boston North, and the NSA Family Chapter.

First, some bittersweet news. Nearly two years ago, the Boston stuttering community gained another champion when long-time NSA member (and my best friend!) Jess Giuffre moved from Chicago and joined me as our Chapter Co-Leader. We have been so lucky to have Jess here with us, but now, it’s Chicago’s turn to have their champion back! Jess will be moving back to Chicago this November, and will actually be taking on a new role as Chapter Co-Leader of the Chicago West Chapter. We will certainly miss her here but are wishing her all the best in Chicago!

Jess will definitely be missed, but I will continue to be here for all of you, although that is beginning to take on a new form.

I have served as your Chapter Leader since 2014, and in that time, the stuttering community in Boston has grown. The Boston North group took on a revamped meeting structure, and both the NSA Boston and Boston Family Chapters were born.

I’ve eaten countless dinners at Bickford’s with the Chat and Chew crew of Boston North, gotten to know some incredible kids who stutter while playing games and creating our own mannequin challenge videos, and had some thought provoking discussions around stuttering with the Boston Chapter. Not to mention, organizing our now fifth annual NSA Boston 1-Day Conference (coming soon…November 4th to be exact!), taking stuttering out to the ballgame, and more.

While I love spending time with all of you, if you’ve ever met me, or seen me show up to the meeting, rambling about a crazy day at school, as I scarf down a last-minute dinner, you know that I am a busy and sometimes crazy person, rushing from one thing to the next.

I’ve realized that I need to be a little less busy, and just crazy in the good ways.

I love being able to get together with all of you, hearing about your lives, and sharing our common bond of stuttering. Facilitating events for our chapters is really my passion and this is something that I am excited to continue, but I am going to no longer run our monthly meetings.

I am committing to running four NSA Boston Chapters joint events per year, one per season. I am excited to continue traditions we have built, our annual barbecue, the one day conference, and more.

So, what does that mean for your specific chapter? Please read on to find out.

NSA Boston Family Chapter – I am thrilled to share that Liz Gomez has volunteered to take on running the monthly chapter meetings at BU. While she has been involved in the stuttering community for just a year, she has so much passion and enthusiasm that I know our families will be in great hands! Her first meeting will be on Wednesday, October 11thLiz is looking for adults who stutter to serve as guests at the family chapter meetings, please email Liz at BostonStutters@gmail.com if that is something you are interested in!

NSA Boston Adult Chapter – I’m so excited to tell you that Rebecca Glass has stepped up to take on running our monthly chapter meetings. She has been apart of our chapter since the very beginning in 2014, and has been attending NSA conferences since 2016. I am sure that she is going to be an excellent Chapter Leader for all of you! She will be sending an email out to members with details on her first meeting. Stay tuned! 

NSA Boston North Chapter – I have come to truly love our Bickford’s dinners but the drive from Quincy to Burlington in rush hour traffic on a Thursday night is brutal! As of right now, these dinners are on pause, and for the moment are being replaced with our quarterly joint events. If you are interested in continuing and planning our Chat and Chew dinners, please let me know. I would be glad to share the reigns with you!

I am truly thankful for all of you and have gained a lot in my time as a Chapter Leader. Thank you for coming to meetings, events, parties, or even just being on the mailing list. Our chapters are what they are because of all of you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and for your support and understanding, as we navigate these new changes. I will look forward to seeing many of you on Saturday, November 4th at Boston University for our 1-Day Conference. More details will be coming soon!

All the best,

Sarah