WHO WE AREThe mission of DAWGS FOR DIABETES is to
provide information to the community about
Diabetes and support for those living with and
affected by Diabetes.
Upcoming Events
Oct 1- Social Event at Mellow Mushroom in
Athens at 7:30
Oct 21 Tate 137- General Body Meeting, UGA
Oct 18- JDRF One Walk, Atlanta, GA
Oct 25- JDRF One Walk, Athens, GA
Oct 26- The Campus Tour: A Diabetes
Perspective, UGA
Oct 31-Nov 2- GA/FL Weekend/Fall Break and
Camp Kudzu Fall Family Camp
Nov 1- Type 1 Day
Nov 1-Nov 30- Diabetes Awareness Month
Nov 5- Social Event TBD
Nov 10-14 Diabetes Awareness Week-CDN
Nov 12- % Night at Jason’s
Nov 12- Camp Kudzu Benefit Luncheon
Nov 14- World Diabetes Day
Nov 18 Tate 137- General Body Meeting
Nov 24-November 28- Thanksgiving Break
Contact
dawgs4diabetesuga@gmail.com
Twitter- @dawgs4diabetes
Find us on Facebook
http://dawgs4diabetesuga.wordpress.com/
Fundraising- http://www.gofundme.com/827728
www.campkudzu.org
www.jdrf.org
www.collegediabetesnetwork.org
http://drc.uga.edu/
https://www.uhs.uga.edu/
Dawgs for Diabetes, D4D is a Student run
organization at the University of Georgia.
Members do not have to have, know anyone
with , or know anything about Diabetes.
Our Goals- 1) Raise Awareness
2) Community Involvement 3)Fundraising
Fundraising
Don’t forget to use Amazon Smile when making
purchases on Amazon to go towards your
favorite (Diabetes) organization.
Want to donate to D4D?
http://www.gofundme.com/827728
In This Issue: Giving Back
and Getting Involved
Page 1- D4D
News
in the News
Page 7- Diabetes Awareness Month
Page 7- Why Be involved and Give Back
Page 8- AYUDA
Page 12- 100 Campaign
Page 12- Project Blue November
Page 12- Closing
Look for time sensitive/important info in BLUE.
Page 7- Diabetes
D4D NEWS!
T-shirts!
Meet the 2014-2015 Exec Board!
To order a shirt please go
here by October 10. Tshirts
are
$12
for
members and $15 for
nonmembers. You can
pay checks, cash or
online
GoFundMe
($2
more). *few minor changes
We are so excited to announce the
executive board for the 2014-2015.We are
excited to welcome three new exec members
this year. Sarah and Mindy cannot wait to work
with all of the new old and members, and the
new members of exec!
made and a larger photo of the
proof is on our facebook page.
1
Mindy Bartleson, President
Hometown: Flowery Branch, GA
University of Georgia, Class of 2015
Mindy plans on graduating in May 2015
with a Bachelors Degree in Social Work and
a minor in Sociology. She has been
involved with D4D since she was a
freshman and very involved since she
brought it back in the winter 2013. She has
served as President since then.
Diagnosed March 8 2000, Mindy has
been thriving with Type 1 Diabetes since
she was 7 years old BUT. Before anything
else, she is a college student, runner,
photographer, traveler, writer, and so much
more who just happens to live with
Diabetes. She is actively involved in JDRF
and Camp Kudzu – ever since she was
diagnosed. She has blogged about her life
and interaction with Diabetes. She’s an
expert at being awkward and getting lost on
occasion. Mindy also has unconditional love
for a good cup of black coffee.
She
thoroughly enjoys singing songs that relate
to a blood sugar reading or feelings towards
Diabetes. She LOVES anything Disney or
Harry Potter related.
In the future she hopes to be an
advocacy lawyer, writer, speaker, and so
much more who wishes to see the world
while never really growing up with music, a
good book, coffee, and diabetes supplies by
her side.
Why is Dawgs for Diabetes Important to
Mindy?
Diabetes is such a huge part of her
life, and being involved in the Diabetes
community is how she “deals” with the highs
and lows of Diabetes. She also feels that
D4D is a great way to be prepared for her
future self. She believes that D4D and the
College Diabetes Network are great ways to
spread awareness and education about
Diabetes. Most importantly, she wants
everyone to have access to a Diabetes
community because she’s been lucky
enough to always be involved since she
was diagnosed, and she wants to make
sure that Young Adults don’t feel lost in the
Diabetes community.
Sarah Gibson, Vice President
Hometown: Bethlehem, GA
University of Georgia Class of 2016
Her major is Dietetics and she plans
to continue her education and get her
Masters degree. Her career goal is to work
with children as a Pediatric Diabetes
Educator to be that helping teacher for
when those children's lives change but will
be an example how diabetes does not hold
us back in life.
Sarah has been involved with Dawgs
for Diabetes since her Freshman year, and
2
has loved every minute of it. The
connections that she has made led her to
volunteer at Camp Kudzu and avidly
fundraise for camp and JDRF.
Sarah was diagnosed with Type 1
diabetes on March 15, 2010 and has been
thankful for her wonderful doctors and
especially her family throughout these
changing times.
Her essentials to get her through the
day are her Crystal Light, her cat-Stella,
coffee, supportive and loving family, her
inviting bed, her boyfriend (who does a
wonderful job getting her mind off the hard
stuff with corny jokes), and finally, her
diabetic community who is always there to
give advice and support when she feels like
she is struggling.
Why is Dawgs for Diabetes important to
Sarah?
Sarah appreciates that Dawgs for
Diabetes provides links between college
students, children of Georgia, doctors, and
even people all over the country impacted
with Type 1 and provides support for all
these different people. Without Dawgs for
Diabetes, she wouldn't have met some of
the wonderful people who are involved with
D4D and would be lost in the big campus at
UGA.
Gina Huang, Community Relations
Hometown: Johns Creek, GA
University of Georgia, Class of 2018
Gina is a currently a freshman and is a
Biology major on the Pre-Pharmacy track.
She plans to apply to the University of
Georgia College of Pharmacy. Her goals
are to become a pharmacist and to travel to
various other countries, especially those
where the health care system can be
improved dramatically, to help those in
need. During her travels to other countries,
she hopes to study how health care
systems and services differ from area to
area.
Although she is not directly affected by
Diabetes, she has had family and friends
impacted by it. Through her participation in
various health clubs and organizations and
her volunteering in hospitals, she was able
to witness the effects of Diabetes on those
who have it. One of her goals she had when
she joined the club was to become
educated about Diabetes and to have a
better, deeper understand of Diabetes. Just
this year, she
joined organizations such as Medlife, Hall
Council, and various others. In her free
time, she enjoys hiking in the Georgia
mountains, reading a good book, and
visiting museums with family. She also
enjoys working with kids, whether that is
through reading programs, tutoring, or
camps.
This is her first year being involved
with this club. Dawgs for Diabetes is a club
that she is very passionate about because
of its ability to bring people together while
spreading the knowledge of Diabetes. The
time period between elementary school and
college is an extremely important period for
those with Diabetes, and it is a time where
many changes can occur. She believes that
what Dawgs for Diabetes is doing for the
community is a meaningful and fulfilling way
to spend her time. As of now, she is looking
3
forward to becoming more active in Dawgs
for Diabetes and to participate in all the
events this year. Lastly, she cannot wait to
meet all the other members!
Riley Jenkins, Freshman Liaison
Hometown: Canton, GA
University of Georgia, Class of 2018
Why is Dawgs for Diabetes important to
Riley?
As a freshman, experiences of
transitioning to college with Diabetes are
fresh on her mind. She is excited to share
these experiences with fellow freshmen and
prospective students. Riley hopes to learn
more about the Diabetes community in
Athens and to gain experience helping
others make the same transition.
Nidhi Aggarwal, Freshman Liaison
Hometown: Statesboro, GA
University of Georgia, Class of 2018
Riley plans to graduate in 2018 with a
Bachelors degree in both Biology and
Psychology. After graduating, Riley plans to
attend Medical School to become a
physician.
Riley was diagnosed with Type 1
Diabetes at the age of 11 and has had Type
1 for over 7 years. Her experiences with
Diabetes include going to Camp Kudzu
(where she met her current roommate),
raising money for JDRF, and speaking to
her high school faculty and staff about
Diabetes as part of her senior project. At
UGA, in addition to Dawgs for Diabetes, she
is actively involved in the American Medical
Student Association of UGA, shadowing,
and volunteering. Her other interests include
exploring new restaurants, catching up on
episodes of Prison Break, House, or Real
Housewives, traveling, spending time with
family and friends, and cheering on the
Dawgs!
In the future, Riley plans to be a doctor,
speaker, and lifelong educator of Diabetes.
Nidhi is an academic scientist and
free-time
artist,
recent
high-school
valedictorian, and an aspiring pre-medical
student, but most importantly, current
freshman actively attempting to discover
herself in the midst of Bulldog Nation.
Why is Dawgs for Diabetes Important to
Nidhi?
Enthusiastic
to
begin
getting
involved with extracurricular activities on
campus, Nidhi looks forward to contributing
to Dawgs For Diabetes’ important message
by serving as a co-Freshman Liaison for the
organization during this academic year.
Although she does not have diabetes, she
has been familiar with the condition through
family history of the temporary, lifestylebased Type 2 Diabetes, as well as through
4
her Type-1-diabetic friends, the experiences
of whom have shown her glimpses of the
daily routines of diabetics and have
solidified her interest in further pursuing the
topic as part of her collegiate goal to
improve
her
understanding
of
the
complexities of human health. She is
especially fervent to begin communityoutreach-based programs through Dawgs
For Diabetes, believing that the most crucial
facets of current diabetes-related issues are
centered on public education and
awareness of the condition, distributing
facts
rather
than leaving
people’s
perceptions of the condition to their
imagination, as well as continued support
towards youth affected with diabetes to
instill confidence and contentment in the
otherwise confusing series of lifestyle
changes caused by diabetes. Nidhi could
not have asked for a better and more
cooperative group to be collaborating with
this year, and she is full of hopeful visions of
what all can be accomplished when a
dedicated group such as Dawgs For
Diabetes unites for a wonderful cause.
UGA students, alumni from other schools,
and parents. We will also provide the
traditional tour of UGA’s North Campus and
stop by the Disability Resource Center. We
will also provide material and connections to
other resources.
If you know a Junior or Senior in High
School (or an excited underclassmen),
please let them know about this opportunity.
It is FREE for families impacted by
Diabetes, and they do not have to want to
go to UGA to attend.
For more information, please go HERE.
Activities Fair
Nidhi plans to graduate from the
University of Georgia as a member of the
Class of 2018, with degrees in Microbiology
and Chemistry, and continue her education
in medical school as an aspiring physician.
Left- CSO UGA Staff, Middle- Abbey, Right- Laura
The Campus Tour: A
Diabetes Perspective
If you haven’t heard, D4D is so excited
to announce that the tour is happening. We
are happily getting prepared for the tour. We
are grateful for all of those helping us along
the way; by spreading the word, providing
resources and information, and so much
more. We have established a committee
with excited members. CDN helped us with
the name of this transition event, and they
are offering us a lot of guidance and needed
resources. We will have panels with current
The activities fair was a success. We
found many new members, and increased
our email list substantially. We hope to have
more opportunities to reach out to campus
and the community. We are especially
grateful for our members who volunteered
at the activities fair to spread the word about
Dawgs for Diabetes.
We are also excited to utilize our
College
Diabetes
Network
Chapter
Outreach kits (parts of which we already
have). We can’t wait to use these resources
even more in the future!
5
Our first official meeting of the year
Our First Meetings and Our
New Sponsors!
Our first “unofficial” meeting was a
success on August 19! Earth Fare, one of
our sponsors attended, and brought us
delicious snacks for our meet and greet. We
were also featured on their facebook pagewith the picture above. The Collier’s
attended the meeting and told their story as
well as talked about JDRF. We are so
appreciative for their involvement and all
that they do! Satisfactory Printing has also
joined our group of sponsors!
Our meeting on September 16
brought us many brand new faces! We are
excited these members found us, and we
are glad for the feedback and input they
provided for us.
JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes
(One Walk)
When: October 25 at 1PM
Where: Sandy Creek Park, Athens, GA
http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/dawgs4diabetes
“The JDRF Walk is an impactful way
to raise money for critically needed type 1
diabetes (T1D) research and show your
support for the millions of people affected by
this serious disease. (JDRF Website).”
Visit the link above if you would like
to donate to JDRF or join the Dawgs for
Diabetes Team! Any donation makes a
difference! Invite your friends and family to
the walk and to donate as well.
6
Diabetes in the News and
on Social Media










Learn about the College Diabetes
Network
"Highs and Lows of Diabetes in
College"
"I Wonder Why Diabetes Picked Me"
Camp Kudzu
A Shortage of Diabetes Doctors
"JDRF Partner ViaCyte to
Immediately Initiate Type 1 Diabetes
Clinical Trial"
"Living with Type 1 Diabetes, a
Forgotten Disease"
Miss Idaho
"12 Types of Lows"
Pin a Personality
But these two great causes we care about
are only the tip of the iceberg.
A lot of us are involved in other
aspects of the Diabetes community, not just
Camp and JDRF; shadowing, volunteering,
blogs, CDN, ADA, education, speaking, and
so much more. We are also involved in
areas that are not related to Diabetes.
As an organization, we find it very
important to be involved and give back
because many of us have benefitted from
various organizations. We also enjoy it!
Diabetes Awareness Month!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars!
November is Diabetes Awareness Month!
November 1 is Type 1 Day. November 14 is
World Diabetes Day! D4D has big plans for
the month! If you haven’t liked our facebook
page, we encourage you to do so! You
should also attend the World Diabetes Day
facebook event. Have you heard about the
International Diabetes Federation’s Pin a
Personality?
These will be great ways to be
involved with Diabetes Awareness month as
well as be aware of all the amazing things
the Diabetes Community is doing that
month (and all year).
Photo at Camp Kudzu Session 3 in August
Camp Kudzu
http://www.campkudzu.org/volunteers/about/
Why is it important to give
back and get involved?
Many members were once campers
at Camp Kudzu, and many of us now attend
Camp as volunteers. Many of us are also
involved with JDRF in various capacities.
Mindy, President (left), and Sarah, Vice President (right)
at Camp Kudzu 2014
7
Mindy’s favorite part about camp is giving back
to the place that she grew up with, and of course
Arts and Crafts (TIE-DYE) . She hopes that
future campers will get what she got of camp;
family, inspiration, lifelong friends, and so much
more.
If you are looking for a wonderful
volunteer opportunity, keep Camp Kudzu in
mind for this summer! Visit the link above
the photo for more details!
University in St. Louis, and Chris is getting
in touch with other students at Boston
University to start a chapter there.
To find out more about AYUDAWebsite
Facebook
JDRF
Thrive with Diabetes
Instead of just Survive with
AYUDA
http://jdrf.org/
With Chris Noble
*The next article in this newsletter came from a phone
interview with Chris Noble and information from the AYUDA
website.
Last years’ exec at the walk.
Danielle, former Vice President (bottom left),Her favorite part about the JDRF Walk to Cure
Diabetes (becoming the JDRF One Walk) was
seeing so much community involvement.
Outside of her sister, she didn’t know much
about the disease, so to be around the “diabetic”
family and seeing how these kids are able to
cope with a chronic disease so young was an
amazing experience.
AYUDA
D4D would like to thank Aly, Camp
Kudzu and AYUDA volunteer, for
connecting us to AYUDA through Jon, and
for Jon to connecting us to Melanie and
Chris who have been involved with AYUDA
for years. It’s a small world. Melanie is
creating a CDN chapter at Washington
Tell us a little about yourself and how you
view Diabetes?
Chris has been thriving with
Diabetes for over 20 years. He feels lucky
enough to have had a lot of opportunities
like access to insulin, education, a support
system and much more. He doesn’t feel that
Diabetes has been a limiting factor in his
life. He wants to THRIVE instead of just
survive with Diabetes. It is all about
perspective. (For instance- He was the
captain of his cross country team and a triathlete.) Instead of having a condition that is
debilitating Chris wants it to be a source of
inspiration. Diabetes has been nothing but
an opportunity for him. If you look at it
intelligently, knowing and using resources,
you can live a long successful life. This
might not have always been available 20
years ago, but in the United States and in
other countries this has changed, but
there’s still so much more to be done.
What is AYUDA? What’s great about
AYUDA?
AMERICAN YOUTH
UNDERSTANDING
DIABETES ABROAD
Means “Help” in Spanish
8
The AYUDA Story“In 1984, José Gabriel, a six-monthold boy in Quito, Ecuador, went into a coma
and was diagnosed with type 1 (juvenile)
diabetes. Despite the efforts of his parents,
both of whom were physicians, José could
not stay healthy. His parents spent most of
the family's income on insulin, but to no
avail. Eight years later José lapsed into
another coma. With no other option, his
family saved money and sent their son to
the U.S. for treatment where they
discovered that a lack of education is as
dangerous as a lack of insulin.
AYUDA was founded in 1997 by two
teenagers with a vision inspired by the plight
of José Gabriel. Since then, AYUDA has
grown significantly in capacity and reach to
become an organization that is recognized
as an international leader in the
development and delivery of diabetes
education,
advocacy
and
youth
empowerment. AYUDA’s successful growth
is a product of the diligence and dedication
of its volunteers. AYUDA's volunteers range
from high school students to health care
professionals. The majority of volunteers
that participate in AYUDA's programs are
students in college or graduate school.
(AYUDA Website).”
Guiding principles“1.A lack of education is as dangerous as a
lack of insulin.
2. Youth can serve as powerful agents of
change.
3. Understanding is just as important as
doing.”
Chris: AYUDA started in Ecuador
16 years ago with a local foundation camp.
They train young leaders, provide education
series, information, etc. The program in
Ecuador is now at the point they have
surpassed AYUDA’s training. The leaders
there now implement everything and
AYUDA is no longer in a direct teaching
role. (They are leaving Ecuador). AYUDA
wants the same thing for the Dominican
Republic. AYUDA hopes for a fully
functioning institution like Ecuador in the
Dominican Republic. The next steps are in
Haiti, they’ve just started there.
“AYUDA
is
working
with”
FHADIMAC, a local Diabetes organization
based in Port-au-Prince in 2012. Since then
AYUDA has facilitated an international
exchange program for youth with Type 1
diabetes in Haiti and neighboring Dominican
Republic. (AYUDA Website)” The women
who leads it is amazing, her family has been
advocating for diabetes health throughout
Haiti for generations. During the earthquake
in 2010, her foundation kept running, and it
became well recognized at local as well as
international levels. They primarily offered
education before the earthquake but
became a main health care center then. The
foundation has a great infrastructure in
education, and they are going to empower
young leaders through AYUDA’s summer
camp program. By changing how they think
about their condition, the young leaders can
now help others as well.
“AYUDA doesn’t focus on people
with Type 1 being weak. Diabetes is not a
defining factor. It can be a source of
inspiration. (Chris)” Empowering people and
allowing them to be their own leaders is
effective for making a difference. Education
and teaching people is one of the best
things people can do. AYUDA has a great a
model for interacting in various countries.
Sometimes just sending doctors is needed,
but it is a quick fix. In emergency situations,
there is not necessarily time for education.
Immediate action and supplies are needed,
but effective change requires something
else. When people come in they cannot
always relate. Once those people leave, the
education and work doesn’t stay. AYUDA
doesn’t give out supplies or replace the
work people are already doing. They work
9
hand in hand with the people there and local
partners. They train with, work with and
educate with the community through lesson
plans, preventive actions, management
actions, curriculum, Type 1 and Type 2
information, and much more.
What is the biggest thing you have gotten
out of AYUDA?
Some of the biggest things Chris has
gotten out of AYUDA are the connections
that he has made in the United States as
well as internationally. He also likes to see
others living with the same condition as well
as living successful lives. He feels like a
“medical anthropologist.”
Why is it important to be involved?
“We know it best. We live with it
every day. (Diabetes), it’s always on our
mind. (We) are the masters of our own
conditions. (We should) share our
knowledge and experiences with others who
might not have it.” Chris almost feels
obligated. We have abilities and talents, and
we should share them. What often happens
with Diabetes Advocacy makes him cringe
because we are not suffering. He does not
think he is suffering. He wants to change
the stigma.
Chris is 24 years old and from San
Diego, California. He is currently a Masters
in Public Health candidate at Boston
University studying Global Health and
Pharmaceutical
Access.
Chris
has
participated in a number of AYUDA
Programs in the Dominican Republic and
Haiti and is acting In-Country Liaison for the
DR programs assisting in program
development, recruitment and grant writing
throughout the year. Chris has been living
with what he calls his "Live"-abetes for
coming on 20 years and believes that
everyone should have the opportunity to
thrive alongside their condition as he always
has.
Melanie’s AYUDA
*(The name Maria is the substitute for this newsletter)
Nine days away from my 12th
birthday, I was diagnosed with Type 1
Diabetes. At the time, I was very set on
not changing anything about my life, so I
never attended a diabetes camp or went
to a support group. About five years
later, I received an email from my
endocrinologist encouraging me to
attend an information session about an
organization called American Youth
Understanding
Diabetes
Abroad
(AYUDA). By this point, I had come to
terms with my diabetes and was ready
to explore some ways to get more
involved in the community. After
attending the first information session, I
was completely enthralled by this
organization. I applied to be a first-time
volunteer instantly and have stayed
involved ever since.
As an active volunteer, I have
been working alongside likeminded
individuals and local foundations in Latin
American countries to empower young
people in those areas to take control of
their lives with diabetes. Once in the
countries, like Ecuador and the
Dominican Republic, during the
10
summer, we work closely with our local
partners to put on diabetes camps for
the local families who have children
living with type 1 diabetes. At camp,
AYUDA emphasizes the idea that a
“lack of education is just as dangerous
as a lack of insulin,” so rather than
merely providing material resources, we
work hands-on with the local families to
teach strategies on how to properly
manage and care for diabetes, which is
knowledge they will retain for the rest of
their lives.
On the last day of camp this
summer (2014), I was sitting with my
camper Maria in our classroom right
before going outside to eat lunch. As
she very well knew, she needed to inject
her rapid-acting insulin. Maria had
already come to two days of camp but
still had never given herself her injection
on her own. Earlier in the morning of
that last day, I was working with her and
told her that if I helped her with her
injection this time, she will need to do it
herself the next time. She agreed. Now,
back at lunchtime, she would not take
the syringe to do the injection herself. A
couple other volunteers and I sat with
her, encouraging her to take this next
step in her self-control of her diabetes.
Playing off of the 2014 camp theme “sé
tu héroe” (“be your own hero”), I told her
that she can be her own superheroine
and absolutely has the power to take
hold of her condition and not let it stand
in her way. After about ten minutes of
working her through the emotional
aspect of diabetes, her nerves and
fears, she agreed to do the injection
herself. Slowly but surely she injected
the syringe. With a smile ear-to-ear, she
removed the syringe and gave me a
huge hug. I told her how proud I was of
her and proud she should be of herself.
It’s moments like this one with Maria
that keep me continuing my work with
AYUDA and that help me keep up my
own diabetes care, reminding myself
that I have the ability to keep myself as
healthy as I can. I was so fortunate to
have been provided with excellent
diabetes education and resources and
to be able to see that I have been able
to pass that on to strong and
empowered young people throughout
the world is incredible.
AYUDA works to empower others
through education and hands-on
interactions to be agents of change in
their own lives. ¡Juntos Somos Más
Fuertes! Together We Are Stronger!
I'm Melanie Goldring, a sophomore at
Washington University in St. Louis. I'm 19
years old, originally from Los Angeles, CA.
I'm a psychology major and children's
studies and spanish minor, and in my free
time I love to dance, do photography, and
hang out with my friends. I'm extremely
passionate about diabetes education
advocacy and have loved working with
AYUDA for the past 3 years.
11
The 100 Campaign
Founded in 2012, the 100 Campaign
is a global movement committed to tearing
down the barriers to access to insulin for all
that need it. Disheartened by the lack of
global action towards access to insulin, a
small team of advocates with experience in
diabetes communities in resource poor
settings came together to launch the 100
Campaign, with the support of the
International Insulin Foundation (IIF).
http://www.100campaign.org/
https://www.facebook.com/100Campaign
Project Blue November
Their #1 goal is to provide people
with tools for advocacy through social
media, but they also provide resources.
“One day in late August, a group of
"D Moms" from around the country came
together in cyberspace to figure out a way
to raise awareness for Type 1 diabetes. And
ProjectBlueNovember was born.
Our Mission
Project Blue November's purpose is
to provide a curated collection of ideas and
inspiration for people who want to raise
awareness of Type 1 Diabetes.
Awareness
We realized that each of us knew
about some event or activity already in
place to promote Type 1 diabetes, but that
there was no single place for people to find
that information.
Advocacy
And in the true spirit of mothers
everywhere, we decided that we better just
do it ourselves! And we challenge you to
join us!” (From their website).
Facebook
http://www.projectbluenovember.com/
Go Out There! Give Back and
Get Involved! (and Thanks!)
Thank you so much for taking the
time to read our VERY full second
newsletter for September! We are thankful
for those who contributed to this newsletter
and will contribute to future ones! We don’t
want to miss anything! Watch out for our
November Newsletter which will be all about
Diabetes
Awareness,
the
Diabetes
Community, and all of our amazing
members living with Diabetes! We hope to
see you raising awareness with us and
everyone else in the world in November.
We hope that this will inspire YOU to
get involved (maybe not with the Diabetes
community but just involved). I love being
involved in the Diabetes Community. It’s
how I “deal” with Diabetes. I also get SO
much out of giving back to the community
that has given me so much! Without places
like Camp Kudzu and JDRF, I do not know
where or who I would be today.
Through Diabetes, I have become
involved in other activities and organizations
that are not Diabetes related. I also
thoroughly enjoy following and learning
about other groups that do amazing things
in the community- even if I cannot be
involved. There’s so much out there!
I believe that we are the ones who make
our destiny, and we do not have to be a
production of our circumstances. It might
take a lot of work, but it’s possible. Why not
do something incredible? We, those living
with Diabetes, should take control and get
involved so that we can make a difference. I
don’t want the world making decisions about
my life without my input.
Get out there. Get involved. Find
something that speaks to you. Maybe one of
these groups? Or maybe you need to find
the perfect fit for you? Whatever it is, find
your passions and chase them.
Again, Thank You for your support!
-Mindy Bartleson, President
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