# August 2013 Community Newsletter **URL:** \ **Category:** Blog\ **Created:** [August 27, 2013, 11:27am UTC](https://forum.livingwithpolyneuropathy.org/t/august-2013-community-newsletter/1837 "2013-08-27T11:27:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ben\_Munoz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex019/user_avatar/forum.livingwithpolyneuropathy.org/ben_munoz/32/1_2.png) [@Ben\_Munoz](https://forum.livingwithpolyneuropathy.org/u/Ben_Munoz)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 11:27am UTC](https://forum.livingwithpolyneuropathy.org/t/august-2013-community-newsletter/1837/1 "2013-08-27T11:27:07Z")
**Dear CMT Family and Friends,** It’s amazing how the collective site activities of Ben’s Friends Patient Communities are [peaking up even in summer](http://www.charcotmarietoothsupport.org/forum/topics/ben-s-friends-all-time-traffic-high-in-the-summer-no-less), the time of year which usually coincides with huge dips! Here are some of the returns: - 600,000+ page views in mid-August - 88,000+ visits, half of which are unique - 33,000+ registered friends The numbers are reflective of something more important: people in need of support and understanding are getting it. Plus, we gain the recognition of peer organizations outside, while strong friendships are being forged within the communities. Let’s maintain the momentum! Your contribution, whatever the size, helps in this growth. Meanwhile, we continue to look for ways to keep you abreast with developments and news about studies, research, resource and management of your particular rare conditions. Soon every Ben’s Friends patient community will don an **In The News** tab where moderators can collate relevant information gathered from the net to create periodic digests. Here is a [pilot run in our Living with Fibro](http://www.livingwithfibro.org/profiles/blogs/in-the-news) site which we are fine-tuning right now. This will surely bring in more interest and, more importantly, bring more information at the end of your fingertips! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **IN THIS ISSUE** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **CMT COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS** [Welcome New Members](#welcome) [Featured Content](#content) [Featured Member](#member) [Picture of the Month](#picture) [Community Stat](#stat) **BEN'S FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH** [Ben's Friends Reaches 33,000+ Members](#reaches) [Ben's Friends All Time Traffic High in Summer No Less](#traffic) [Ben’s Friends Belongs to the Top 50 Social Media Influencers in Orphan Drug and Rare Disease](#top50) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Welcome New Members** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You are very fortunate to have come at a time when our community is already built to suit your needs. Yes, this is the right place for you. Now, it’s up to you to enjoy connecting with your new family, adding to the wealth of information in the sites and familiarizing yourself with the community features. Here’s how: **1. Tell us more about yourself.** Share your story on the Blog area or post a picture or video through the Media tab. **2. Explore more of the site.** Use the quick Search tab for your queries and participate in the Discussions forum. Find out what each tab holds for you. **3. Connect through mobile.** Yes, you can receive updates and chat using the mobile feature of your site. Just type the site URL on your browser, add /m at the end, press Enter and you are ready to go. **4. Check out the FAQ section.** We value your privacy and security. Please be familiar with our site guidelines to get the most out of your membership. [Back to Top](#top) **CMT COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Featured Content: Brave Teen with CMT To Swim Distance of English Channel for Charity** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out Armando's [interesting story of a teen](http://www.charcotmarietoothsupport.org/profiles/blogs/brave-teen-with-cmt-to-swim-distance-of-english-channel-for-chari) who swam 22 miles to raise funds for CMT. [Back to Top](#top) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Featured Member: Prisca** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Watch this interesting video with [Prisca sharing her honest](http://www.charcotmarietoothsupport.org/profile/prisca) opinion about CMT. [Back to Top](#top) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Picture of the Month** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [![]()](http://www.sjogrenssyndromesupport.org/photo/hope?context=latest) Check out Tez\_20's beautiful wall picture--a gentle reminder that with hope everything is possible! ------------------------------------------------------------------ [Back to Top](#top) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Community Stat:** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Members as of August 1, 2013 : **204** [Back to Top](#top) **BEN'S FRIENDS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH** **Ben’s Friends continues to grow and make a difference for people affected by rare diseases. Check out these updates!** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Ben's Friends Reaches 33,000+ Members** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our communities have surpassed 33,000 members this month and continue to grow every day! [Browse through the stats here.](http://www.bensfriends.org/communities/) [Back to Top](#top) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Ben's Friends All Time Traffic High in Summer No Less** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ben’s Friends Patient Support Communities hits an all-time traffic high in the middle of August! This is crazy as summer usually coincides with a huge traffic dip. Big things are happening! ![]() [Back to Top](#top) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Ben’s Friends Belongs to the Top 50 Social Media Influencers in Orphan Drug and Rare Disease** -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BensFriends.org appears in the list of [Top 50 Social Media Influencers in Orphan Drug and Rare Diseases](http://blogs.terrapinn.com/total-biopharma/2013/07/01/top-50-social-media-influencers-orphan-drugs-rare-disease/) reported by the World Orphan Drug Congress. In the list are patient advocacy, healthcare and government organizations selected based on activity levels, engagement and community reach. [Back to Top](#top)