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| Photo credit: Matt Schreifels |
Schreifels, a 32-year-old person who stutters from St. Cloud, Minnesota, first heard about Stutter Social almost a year ago from a podcast about stuttering. "Before giving (it) a try, I was pretty nervous about what sort of interactions I'd have with other participants within the hangout," he says. "But from the moment I entered the hangout, everyone was very welcoming and friendly. Stutter Social hangouts are an extremely laid back environment. It's a chance to be with other like-minded people who stutter, a place to be who we are without hesitation."
After participating for about 10 months, Schreifels decided to become a host. "What made me want to become a Stutter Social host was the chance to meet and make friends with as many stutterers worldwide as possible."
He will be hosting every other Tuesday at 8:30 PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto, New York), alternating with co-founder Daniele Rossi.
When not hosting or participating in Stutter Social, Schreifels can be seen hunting or fishing. He aspires to have his own furniture-building workshop. He also started attending the recently established St. Cloud chapter of the National Stuttering Association (NSA) and he hopes to attend the upcoming NSA annual conference in Scottsdale, Arizona this July. "I feel support groups of any kind are such a great asset," he adds.
