Hepatitis B Foundation Says “Thank You!” to its 100-plus Volunteers

Doylestown, April 22, 2020 – During National Volunteer Week in the United States, the Hepatitis B Foundation is publicly thanking its more than 100 volunteers worldwide. Those dedicated individuals work with the Foundation to help serve people living with hepatitis B, their families and health care providers, sharing information about the resources available to them, particularly about the treatment and prevention of the infectious disease.

“We are extremely grateful for the many, many hours and the very creative input provided by our volunteers around the world, particularly here in the United States,” said Dr. Timothy M. Block, President of the Foundation. “Our organization was founded by volunteers and we continue to rely on volunteers for leadership, outreach, public awareness and fundraising. In fact, our annual fundraising event, which coincidentally is this Friday, depends on volunteers for auction donations and much more. So, on behalf of the Foundation, I’ll say ‘Thank you very, very much’ to all of our volunteers.”

Volunteers make up the Foundation’s Board of Directors and serve as Scientific and Medical Advisors. More than 40 volunteers work as “storytellers” for the Foundation’s highly regarded #justB campaign.

Storytellers HBUSummit2019 CROPPEDSome of our volunteer #justB storytellers (Photo by Alex Le).

 

Dr. Block and his wife, Joan, created the Foundation in 1991, with two other volunteers, Janine and Paul Janine Witte, who were deeply moved by the plight of a young family affected by hepatitis B. With the personal support of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the hepatitis B virus, and the help of the local community, the Wittes and Blocks responded to this unmet need by working tirelessly to establish the Hepatitis B Foundation, which has since grown from a grassroots effort into a professional organization with a global reach and substantial scientific research.