WLSFA

Dear Members of the Board of Directors of WLSFA,

I am profoundly offended by the inquiries recently made by your board members to my professional colleagues regarding accusations of their prompting me to write my blog on the WLSFA.  My blog was prompted by surmounting information and concern for clients, as I had suggested pursuit of grants with your foundation. After reading over your website and reviewing the previous recipients, I did not feel comfortable leading them into exhaustive efforts that would likely lead to no result of help with their pursuit of surgical weight loss.  I could not, in good faith as a mental health counselor, direct my clients to an organization that would essentially provide them with false hope, continuing a cycle of disappointment and frustration, when your reach as an organization has continued to be so diminutive and seemingly reaches only a select few, of which are often friends of members in your Board of Directors.

As a counselor, I am obligated to my professional ethics in seeking to do no harm, which includes understanding the intentionality of my actions.  In referring one person to your organization, I would be leading them down a path of false hope, which in my opinion is doing greater harm than helping them to find the financial resources on their own to pursue surgery. The concept of your organization is honorable, but the behavior I witnessed and recount from events, witnessed in my interactions with your board, and repercussions of poor management lead me to believe that you had created your own demise before I said anything on my blog. 

Unfortunately, your vendors do know about the situation that occurred after Las Vegas.  As I attend professional conferences and have them ask me what is it that they could not put their finger on that was not right in Vegas at WLSFA, I will direct them to the tax returns and the paid vacation that you all like to take in Vegas each year while partying when the opportunity has existed for WLSFA the entire time to provide education and support. It is blatantly obvious that the only people benefiting from the existence of WLSFA are its Board of Directors and its very few grant recipients.

I won't bother to offer my suggests on how your organization could improve its operations and mission again.  I know it will fall on deaf ears, and I am not going to waste my time. I have better opportunities to advocate and support those who struggle with obesity, wherever they are in their journey.  I do not tolerate bullying, blame and shame games, accosting strangers to self promote, and ostracizing individuals for their personal struggles in their journey when it is not the business of that person-- in assuming leadership roles, one must realize their obligation to be non-biased, compassionate and understanding rather than arrogant and unkind.

I will conclude my letter by informing WLSFA that I attribute the problems in your organization to a lack of true goodwill leading your agenda. Nepotism is not the role of charity. Charities have an obligation to be compassionate and provide information and resources to all who seek their help, even when they can not directly impact the livelihood of that person. I do not see that occurring in your organization, I see enabling transfer addictions, self promotion, and nepotism as the mission.  It's not what we say that shapes our missions, it is what we do with the responsibility of leadership roles and how we meet our obligation to others with kindness and positive regard.  If you have issues with me, personally or what I have said, please contact me directly for clarification. 

Regards & GR