ALEXANDRIA, VA--(Marketwire - December 01, 2011) - 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® 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
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