Each year in November, communities across the country team up to bring attention to diabetes during American Diabetes Month. According to the American Diabetes Association, 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, and 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes every year. Organizations like Diabetes Dayton are here to help individuals of all ages manage their diabetes through life-saving programs like the Diabetes Emergency Supply Assistance Program, or DESAP, and summer camp programming.
Since 1963, Diabetes Dayton has been offering summer camp and transforming the lives of children with diabetes in the greater Dayton area. After not holding in-person camp last year, participants were glad to return to camp at the YMCA Camp Willson Outdoor Recreation Center, located just outside of Bellefontaine. There, youth enjoyed a variety of camp activities such as swimming, hiking, campfires, wall-climbing, archery, horseback riding, field games and a dance on the last evening. In addition to making new friends who are living with diabetes like themselves, education is a central part of camp, helping campers become more knowledgeable and skillful in the management of their diabetes.
The eagerness to return to camp was felt by everyone involved. “My daughter loves the relationships she has made through camp,” commented one parent. “These friendships will last a lifetime.” Without the funding support from The Benevolent Fund of the Masons, CareSource Foundation, Middletown Community Foundation, and the Michelle McGann Fund, the transition back to in-person camp would not have been possible.
Thirty-two years after Diabetes Dayton started camp, the DESAP was formed when they started providing a minimal amount of diabetes supply assistance to those who were uninsured. Critically needed testing and supplies include but are not limited to glucometers, test strips, lancets, glucose tabs, sharps containers, syringes, and insulin pumps. Recognizing the need for and high cost of insulin and testing supplies, Diabetes Dayton formed a new partnership this year with locally owned ZIKS Family Pharmacy. This project was funded by a grant from The Dayton Foundation and will positively impact individuals living with diabetes who are at risk of long-term complications due to lack of access to supplies and medicine.
Another funder of the DESAP is The Levin Family Foundation. Their foundation supports agencies in Dayton and surrounding areas that feed, clothe, educate, and provide health related support to those in need. Thanks to a grant from The Levin Family Foundation, the DESAP will be able to expand its reach to physician’s offices and Federally Qualified Health Centers to create awareness and reach more clients in the area. This support will ensure that individuals living with diabetes are able to obtain the necessary supplies to test their blood sugar on a regular basis and prevent long-term health complications.
Thanks to all of the incredible funders of Diabetes Dayton programming to create happier, healthier communities throughout the Miami Valley!
Learn more:
CareSource Foundation: https://www.caresource.com/about-us/caresource-foundation/
Middletown Community Foundation: http://www.mcfoundation.org/
Michelle McGann Fund: https://themichellemcgannfund.com/
The Dayton Foundation: https://www.daytonfoundation.org/
The Levin Family Foundation: https://levinfamilyfoundation.org/
