Chantal, Coordinator of Quebec’s association for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (AFSFC-VS), is here to answer our questions today. Given the current backdrop, we took some time to chat with her about how her organization is overcoming the constraints linked to COVID-19. 
Here are the great things she had to say.

 

 
Chantal: Good morning, Solène! 

Yapla: Good morning, Chantal! Thank you for answering our call. We're happy to be talking with you today. To get started, could you tell us a bit about your organization?

Chantal: It would be my pleasure! My name is Chantal Bergeron and I have been the coordinator of Quebec’s association for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome (Association de fibromyalgie et du syndrome de fatigue chronique de Vaudreuil-Soulanges) for four and a half years. 
Fibromyalgia is a disease characterized primarily by a chronic condition: diffuse muscle pain that may become disabling, chronic fatigue, impaired concentration, vision, memory, and sleep, and a lack of understanding on the part of family and friends as well as many doctors and health care professionals. 
Our mission is to inform, reassure, support, and give hope to members, and to educate and inform the general public and health professionals about fibromyalgia. 
This year, our organization has more than 80 members. 

Yapla: How are things going for you right now with the pandemic? 

Chantal: Unfortunately, COVID-19 has directly impacted our organization since we no longer have the opportunity to meet in person. 
Especially for our membership renewals, we usually rent a large space to welcome members, have coffee… it is a nice event in normal times.
More generally, our activities focus on classes that all take place in-person: adapted yoga, qi gong, self-help groups, creative journaling, drawing, stretching exercises, and a monthly mini-conference with general health professionals, to name a few.
As with many organizations, I imagine, we did not expect the pandemic to last so long and prevent us from doing things the way we normally do. 

Yapla: There is no doubt that this is a major challenge. Could you tell us how you adapted to the situation? 

Chantal: We simply redesigned our organization. And fortunately, Yapla is there for us! I knew it would be very complicated to organize an in-person new members’ day, as we traditionally do, so I searched for a solution on the internet and found Yapla. 

 
“We simply redesigned our organization. And fortunately, Yapla is there for us (...) It's really easy to use and, above all, it's free!”

 
Yapla: Making it easier to renew memberships and register new members, is that what triggered you to open your Yapla account? 

Chantal: I decided to go with Yapla because it’s really easy to use and, best of all, it’s free! I wanted to make it possible for members to register despite COVID-19 and pay by credit card. Also, thanks to the ability to accept dues payments on Yapla, we have reduced our number of cash and cheque deposits at our financial institution, which means fewer bank fees! 
And with the online membership system, members coming from further away and who can’t normally travel to participate in our activities have been able to connect with us since there is no longer the constraint of distance.

Yapla: That’s great to hear! It seems like more doors are opening for your organization. Another question for you: how do you manage your activities remotely? 

Chantal: We have digitized many more operations since April 2020. We hold our meetings via an online video conferencing platform and are continuing our work despite the physical distance. 
Before, I sent emails manually and members had to reply to sign up for activities. It was much more complicated. Now I create the events on Yapla and everything is automated, it's fantastic! 
The platform is really easy to learn to use, even though using technology is not one of my strengths. Multiple members have given very positive feedback on Yapla and how easy it is to use. 

 
“Multiple members have given very positive feedback on Yapla and how easy it is to use.”

 
Yapla: It makes us happy to hear these comments. It’s what gets us out of bed every morning! Thanks Chantal! Do you have any other longer-term goals you want to share with us? 

Chantal: Sure! I want to bring together even more members, gain visibility and get more support from health professionals. 
Specifically, we want to launch a fundraising campaign by getting members involved (possibly selling body pillows, pillowcases, etc.) once we're able to meet again.

Yapla: Whatever you do, rest assured that Yapla will be there to cultivate commitment to your cause! Any last words? 

Chantal: I want to say that the Yapla team is amazing! I always get a very clear and fast reply when I write to you. You really provide great service. Thank you, Yapla!

 

 

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Solène, marketing manager