My Gut Instinct, Inc.

My Gut Instinct, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Berks County, Pennsylvania, with a mailing address at P.O. Box 6635 in Wyomissing. The organization was founded in 2013 by Dr. Aparna Mele, a board-certified gastroenterologist, and focuses on raising awareness of preventable diseases, encouraging cancer screenings (with particular attention to colorectal cancer), and promoting holistic wellbeing across the community. Rather than operating a clinical facility, My Gut Instinct works primarily through public events, free educational resources, and partnerships with health systems, medical groups, local businesses, and community organizations.

The organization's stated mission goals center on empowering people through education and self-care, curating vendors who can deliver interactive and high-impact learning, building partnerships that grow and diversify its audience, and designing programs engaging enough that attendees return year after year. Day-to-day direction comes from a steering committee of volunteer board members, and the nonprofit depends on volunteers, sponsors, and monetary donations to sustain its programming.

Guts & Glory: A Community Wellness Festival

The organization's flagship event is Guts & Glory, which began as the Guts and Glory Digestive & Wellness Expo and has since been reframed as Guts & Glory: A Community Wellness Festival. The festival is free to attend, open to all ages, and pet friendly, and it has grown to draw more than 1,200 participants.

The 13th annual festival is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026, with a rain date of October 4, at Jim Dietrich Park, 4899 Stoudts Ferry Bridge Road, Reading, PA 19605, in Muhlenberg Township. Festival hours for vendors and exhibitors run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The event is organized into six themed zones that help attendees navigate the grounds by interest:

• Reset, focused on stress relief and recovery
• Nourish, centered on food, nutrition, and tasting opportunities
• Movement, featuring physical activity and demonstrations
• Prevention, home to screenings and risk reduction information
• Glow, highlighting self-care and personal wellbeing
• Community, connecting attendees with local organizations and resources

Programming across the zones has included live music and live demonstrations, a farmer's market, a massage tent, free tasting samples, children's activities including a veggie race, and a community pledge wall where attendees commit to health goals. One of the festival's most recognizable features is a MEGA-colon exhibit, a walk-through style gut health display that gives visitors a close look at digestive anatomy and the changes associated with disease. Free health screenings are offered on site within the Prevention Zone, alongside holistic practitioners and guidance on managing stress, with an emphasis on early detection and longevity.

Undy 500 Colorectal Cancer Awareness Ride

My Gut Instinct also organizes the Undy 500, a family-friendly scavenger hunt ride hosted in partnership with Classic Harley-Davidson in the Bern Township and Leesport area. The ride is built around colorectal cancer awareness messaging, including the points that colon cancer is beatable in roughly 90 percent of cases when it is found early and that about one in three Americans are not screened at the intervals recommended for them. The event's lighthearted format is intended to make a frequently avoided health topic easier to talk about in a public setting.

Education and Publications

Beyond its events, the organization maintains a library of free online health education materials. These include guides to the digestive organs, covering the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, liver, small intestine, and colon, written for a general audience rather than a clinical one. A Nutrition 101 section addresses eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, portion control, healthful food preparation, and sustainable eating practices. A companion Fitness 101 section outlines cardiovascular, strength, core, and flexibility training, referencing American College of Sports Medicine guidelines.

My Gut Instinct publishes a wellness blog and a free email newsletter, The Monthly Digest, which circulates recipes, articles, and event announcements. Both the blog and the newsletter accept community submissions, and residents can send in original health and wellness articles or recipes for possible publication, which gives local dietitians, clinicians, fitness professionals, and home cooks a platform to share practical information.

Mini-Gutsy and Community Outreach

The organization's mascot, originally introduced as Gutsy Girl On The Go, now travels in a tabletop version called Mini-Gutsy. The character was created by Ann Chase and Sharon McGinley of the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts in Reading. Businesses, schools, and community events can request to host Mini-Gutsy, and those who share selfies with the hashtag #gutsygirl are entered for prizes. The program functions as an informal awareness campaign, putting digestive health in front of audiences who might not otherwise attend a health event.

Getting Involved

Volunteers support the festival in three event-day shifts running 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Available roles include registration, photo booth staffing, vendor navigators, booth sitters, crowd rousers who wear vegetable costumes, and setup and teardown crews. High school and college students who volunteer may request a Certificate of Participation to document service or credit hours.

Vendor and exhibitor space at the October 3, 2026 festival is available in several categories, including a Maker's Market and separate placements for small businesses, nonprofits, and larger businesses. Vendors are asked to remain for the full event and to design an interactive, dynamic presence rather than a static table, consistent with the festival's emphasis on hands-on learning.

Sponsorship is organized by partnership level. Penn State Health St. Joseph has served as title sponsor, and supporting sponsors have included the Berks County Medical Society Alliance. Sponsor contributions underwrite the free admission model and help expand access to wellness resources throughout Berks County. The organization also accepts monetary donations, including checks mailed to its Wyomissing post office box, and reports on the use of funds in an annual report.

Contact and Service Area

My Gut Instinct can be reached by phone at (610) 374-4401, extension 1003. The organization's programming is concentrated in Berks County and the greater Reading area, including Wyomissing, Muhlenberg Township, Bern Township, and Leesport, while its online resources are available to anyone.