ALEXANDRIA, VA, Dec 01, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) —
Today the American Diabetes Association announced the launch of
their new online Volunteer Center. This center establishes a
community, connecting volunteers and complementing existing
activities across the country. The Volunteer Center will help foster
stronger relationships with current and prospective volunteers to
encourage a long-term commitment in the fight to stop diabetes.
“People are spending more and more time online, so the Volunteer
Center is an important resource for volunteers to connect and build
relationships,” said John W. Griffin, Jr., Chair of the Board,
American Diabetes Association. “These volunteers are the core of the
Stop Diabetes(R) movement, supporting our mission to prevent and cure
diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by
diabetes.”
The Association had volunteers from across the country test the new
center, which provides state of the art registration capabilities and
training opportunities. Having local volunteers involved in that
testing was a vital component of the process because local
communities will use the center to recruit and train new and existing
volunteers.
“The Volunteer Center will enhance our local volunteer training and
provide a universal resource center and connection source for our
volunteers across the country,” said Anne Dennis, Program Manager for
the Association’s Phoenix office. “It also enables us to take
advantage of one of the key benefits of online communities — it is
available to anyone at anytime of the day or night making it much
more convenient for the volunteer.”
The first phase of the online center provides an introduction to the
American Diabetes Association with a Diabetes 101 training, as well
as training for volunteers in the roles of African American
Initiatives ambassadors, Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes and Tour de
Cure team captains, and Family Link parent mentors.
This project was made possible through a generous grant from the
McKesson Foundation. “The McKesson Foundation is proud to support the
online volunteer center, which will allow the American Diabetes
Association to expand their reach exponentially and ultimately touch
the lives of more people with diabetes,” said Carrie Varoquiers,
President of the McKesson Foundation.
The Volunteer Center is yet another key component in the
Association’s fight to Stop Diabetes. Stop Diabetes is a movement to
end the devastating toll that diabetes takes on the lives of millions
of individuals and families across our nation. There are nearly 26
million children and adults in the United States who have diabetes,
with another nearly 80 million at risk for developing type 2
diabetes. For more information about the Volunteer Center, or to
connect with volunteers in your area, go to: diabetes.org/volunteer
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes
Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly
consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The
Association funds research to prevent, cure, and manage diabetes;
delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and
credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights
because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, its mission is to prevent and
cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by
diabetes. For more information, please call the American Diabetes
Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit
www.diabetes.org . Information from both these sources is available in
English and Spanish.
Contact:
Colleen Fogarty
703-549-1500 ext. 2146
SOURCE: American Diabetes Association
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