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Upcoming Events December 27- D4D Mentor Applications Launch January 10-11 JDRF Type 1 Nation Southeast Summit in TNJanuary 16-19- Camp Kudzu’s Teen Ski RetreatJanuary 20- D4D Meeting at 8PM*January 21- Camp Kudzu Volunteer and Camper Applications February 17- D4D Meeting at 8PM*February 21- JDRF Type 1 Nation in Atlanta March 9-13 – UGA Spring BreakMarch 17- D4D Meeting at 8PM*March 27-29- Camp Kudzu Spring Family CampApril 21- D4D Meeting at 8PM**TentativeNot scheduled yet- D4D Fundraisers, Social Events, Committee and Exec Meetings
[email protected] @dawgs4diabetesFind us on Facebookhttp://dawgs4diabetesuga.wordpress.com/Fundraising- http://www.gofundme.com/827728
www.collegediabetesnetwork.orgwww.campkudzu.orgwww.jdrf.orghttp://drc.uga.edu/https://www.uhs.uga.edu/
T-shirts!To order a shirt please, email us [email protected]
WHO WE ARE-The mission of DAWGS FOR DIABETES is to
provide information to the community about Diabetes and support for those living with and
affected by Diabetes.
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 Awareness2) Community Involvement 3)Fundraising
FundraisingDon’t forget to use Amazon Smile when
making purchases on Amazon to go towards your favorite (Diabetes) organization; Such
as the College Diabetes Network
Want to donate to D4D? http://www.gofundme.com/827728
Or email us!
Happy Holidays and Happy Carb Counting from all of us at Dawgs
for Diabetes!
In This Issue: Semester Wrap Up
pg. 2- Newspg. 2- D4D Planspg. 2- D4D News; JDRF Walk, Diabetes Awareness, Family Camp.pg. 4- The Campus Tour, a few perspectives. pg. 6- Thank You! pg. 8- Member Spotlight pg. 11- A Note from Exec, Sarah Gibson
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Diabetes NewsCelebrating Our Heroes- Former D4D
President“Stressed with Trying to be Perfect”
The Camp Kudzu Benefit Luncheonraised over $165,000!
JDRF Walks in Georgia raised over $1.4 million and counting
for Diabetes research!
D4D PlansWe are very excited to announce
our programs and plans for next semester. We want to keep the momentum going!
We will have a fundraising schedule with bake sales, percentage nights, and other fundraising events. We will kick off a fundraiser this semester as well
We are starting our modified mentoring program this semester. For more information, please visit our website (more information and applications to come)! This will be open to children with Diabetes, their siblings, and children with parents who have Diabetes. Our members will go through training. We will host two
mentoring events. Mentoring will be available in person, depending on distance, and over the phone or email. We are so excited to restart this long awaited program!
We will begin several educational programs on and off campus through our mentoring program. We hope to visit more programs at dorms and other events to educate and raise awareness about Diabetes and our organization. We also plan to start visiting high schools to educate the students about Diabetes; we will offer children getting mentored the chance to help educate their peers if they wish. If you would like us to speak at an event or to a group please contact us!
D4D NewsFall Family Camp
Three of our members attended
Camp Kudzu’s Fall Family
Camp during Halloween Weekend.
(Fun fact- the D4D
members that volunteered
had not attended
family camp before.
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Diabetes Awareness Month in November
Many of members (some pictured above) tabled at University of Georgia’s Tate
Student Center on World Diabetes Day on
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JDRF Walk in AthensSaturday, October 25, 2014
We raised over $1,000 for the JDRF Walk, and 40 people walked with Dawgs for Diabetes. 19 members attended bringing friends and family!
Class of 2018 Above
Class of 2017 Left
Class of 2016 Above
Class of 2015 Left
November 14. We educated, drew blue circles, and wished everyone who walked by a “Happy World Diabetes Day.” We also sold merchandise to raise money for our organization. All month our members helped to raise awareness through social media, classes, events, and our adaption of the Faces of Diabetes campaign.
The Campus Tour: A Diabetes PerspectivePosts from Mindy, Abbey, David, and a T1D Mom who attended the tour.
Why Have a Tour Like
This?“The
Campus Tour could be used to spread the word about
Dawgs for Diabetes and the College Diabetes Network so that families knew there was an organization waiting for them. Because the College Diabetes Network is all over the country, future students could be connected to CDN through other chapters, the organization as a whole, or feel inspired and start a chapter of their own if their college does not have one. Another hope would be for future UGA students to know that Dawgs for Diabetes is waiting for them when they get to college. Teens tend to be the group who get a little “lost” in the Diabetes community at this crucial point in their lives, and we all need to be reminded that we are not alone. As college approached, many of our members began to think about what was next; unanswered questions, changes in doctors, a new place, not living at home, large lecture classes, getting medicine, overall Diabetes management, and so much more.
This tour could be an inspiration for us and others. Diabetes does not have to be a limiting factor in our lives, but it can be motivation. We all already had to grow up quickly as children and then teens living with Diabetes, but here comes college, an opportunity, to grow as a person, and show the world what we are capable of. Many of us remember that scary and exciting transition as college approached, and we wanted to help ease everyone’s minds. We aren’t here to say it isn’t hard or irritating at times, but that is very possible. College is an opportunity to grow, learn about yourself, expand your opportunities, meet new people, and (comfort your parents that you can take care of yourself). I personally found college to be an excellent opportunity to blossom; I started eating healthier, I got more involved in what I wanted to do with my life, I found Dawgs for Diabetes, met a whole new circle(s) of
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friends, and I took charge of my Diabetes management. I became more passionate about Diabetes and its impact on Mental Health because I don’t think the world always accounts for this. We also must remember that we are stronger because of this disease even if we do not always feel this way. Many of us accomplish so much, surpass the odds and the predictions, follow our dreams, and explore the world.” – Part of an open letter in the campus tour packets, Mindy Bartleson, President, Class of 2015
.
“There Will Never be a time or Place”… like College
“College is not like high school. In many ways it is a lot harder, but it is something that everyone should have a chance to experience. It will not be easy. Your grades may not be as high as they were in high school. At some point, you may realize that you want to change your major, and you will wonder how it will affect your career path or if your options will be limited. You may have to deal with difficult experiences while you are away from your family. Balancing school, sleep, social life and other obligations is not a simple process. But there will probably never be another time or place where you have such easy access to so many resources whether educational or social. There is so much that happens on or near this campus like sporting events, music, guest lectures from well-known speakers, service opportunities, conferences and so much more. You will meet so many people who will impact you in many ways. You will learn what types of people make you a better person, and you will learn to identify those who you may not connect with very well.
You will probably experience more growth during this time than you ever have before in your life. As someone who does not have diabetes, Dawgs For Diabetes has helped me to better understand something that does not directly affect me but has impacted the lives of friends and family members. I understand how important it is to raise awareness since many people do not understand what diabetes is. Let’s keep working to educate people until we have a cure!” -Abbey Giese, member, Class of 2015
“Imagine the Impact over Four Years”
“What this tour provided was insight into the college experience for both parent and child. This tour was not meant to show off the school, or point out any of its great academic or athletic achievements, but meant to give peace of mind to parents by easing their concerns for their soon-to-be college student who might be overwhelmed with, well, just about everything. By attending the campus tour, not only were previously held questions and concerns going to be answered, but attendees were provided the comfort of knowing there is a family awaiting you at college. We wanted to let attendees know that you are not alone in the fact that you have diabetes and are new to college. There will most likely be clubs and organizations similar to Dawgs for Diabetes no matter what college you decide to attend, and on top of that, the College Diabetes Network is always going to be there for you.
It seemed anyone and every one of the students who was asked to help out with the Campus Tour was eager to jump on board before we were even done
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explaining. The buzz about this tour caught the attention of people with diabetes, and their supporters, from all across Georgia. Among the 30 total volunteers, we had an author of a well-known diabetes book, a medical student from Georgia Regents University in Augusta, a public health graduate student from Emory University, and many, many more. The word about The Campus Tour: A Diabetes Perspective spread around quite well and made its way into the schedules of 21 families.
Overall, the tour could not have gone any better. From the beginning to the end, those who attended seemed to learn so much and were extremely thankful for the opportunity to attend such a great event. The responses to the surveys and kind words sent to us following the conclusion of the tour only emphasized how much of an impact the College Diabetes Network and Dawgs for Diabetes had on a large group of people in just one day. Just imagine what the impact of both organizations is over four years of college!” David Paul Weinzierl, member, Class of 2016
See David’s full Post here
“A Wealth of Knowledge”“I don’t know if you will have a survey or feedback questionnaire come through, but I wanted to let you know we are relieved to find out about the College Diabetes Network. You have reduced our anxiety regarding T1D and college life. Also, it is obvious the time and talent put into the emails, links, and webpages that were developed solely for Dawgs for Diabetes. I don’t think you or the administration behind this forgot anything. The other T1D college kids that joined us during the walk
were a wealth of knowledge, about campus life, camp life, their experience in D4D. They were all so friendly and welcoming, “ T1D Mom who attended.
THANK YOU!We would like to take a moment
and say THANK YOU to everyone who has helped us this semester. Without you this would not be possible. We appreciate all your help in the various forms you gave us. Many of you have been with us for years, but we are glad to say thanks to many new groups who helped this semester!
-To our exec; When Mindy and Sarah graduate, they both will have served on exec for three years each. Gina, Nidhi, and Riley are all freshman, and they joined us this year. They literally hit the ground running and rolled with everything thrown their way. We are so glad to have these ladies working together on things for D4D!
-To our members, thank you for all your help, dedication, enthusiasim, and belief in D4D. We are grateful to all our members for being a part of D4D.
-To our alumni, thank you for starting D4D and growing it, volunteering with us, providing insight, your donations, and so much more. We are so glad that you are still a part of D4D.
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-To our family members and friends who volunteered with us, supported us, donated to us, and so much more. Thank you for helping us.
-To our 30 volunteers at the Campus Tour and the 21 families who attended, Thank You for making the first tour possible! We also appreciate the guidance from the staff at the College Diabetes Network for the Campus Tour.
-To our sponsors and donors, thank you for your assistance. Without your donations we would not have been able to
make this all happen! -To Camp Kudzu and JDRF, thank
you for spreading the word about us and the Tour.
-To Andrew Deutscher, author of “Typecast” thank you for attending our tour, speaking at our tour, and donating some of the proceeds of his books to us. You can find more information and how to buy his book here.
-And finally, to the Colliers. We are glad we were able to present a Thank You Card to Georgia Collier. Without her the Athens Walk would not be possible! She and her family are also strong supporters of D4D, and they have believed in us since the beginning. The Colliers also hosted our first end of semester celebration at the end of the semester (pictured below)
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This Semester we…..raised over $4,200 for JDRF and our
Campus Tour.
..devoted over 1,089 hours to Dawgs for Diabetes through; 6 meetings; 2 JDRF Walks in Atlanta, Camp Kudzu Summer
camps, Camp Kudzu Fall Family Camp, The Campus Tour, 3 social events; World
Diabetes Day, 4 campus outreach events, 2 dorm programs, fundraising, and other
outside work.
…had about 25 active members.
…hosted the first The Campus Tour: A Diabetes Perspective.
…held our first end of semester celebration.
…added our freshman liaison positions to exec.
…created our adaption of the Faces of Diabetes Campaign for Diabetes Awareness
Month.
…tabled as an organization on World Diabetes Day for the first time.
…kicked off our Newsletter.
Member SpotlightMost Involved Members
We would also like to take a moment to recognize our most involved members this semester. Not counting Camp Kudzu summer camps, these three members contributed over 200 hours to D4D this semester.
Laura GillespieClass of 2016, member since fall of 2012
“I joined Dawgs for Diabetes because I think it’s so important to spread awareness about T1D to people in the Athens area and to the students of UGA. Diabetes has been a part of my life for
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almost 18 years and it's wonderful to see all of the people in the Athens community standing up for our cause. Dawgs for Diabetes is a fun way for me to spread awareness and stay connected to the T1D community. I am so thankful for the friends I've made through D4D over the past few years and for all of the great experiences I've been able to have! I can't wait to see where Dawgs for Diabetes heads next, and I'm so proud to be a part of this organization.”
Laura helped us find new members at the activity fair. She volunteered at Camp Kudzu’s summer camp and fall family camp. She attended the JDRF Walks in Atlanta and Athens, and she brought 18 friends to the walk in Athens. She created the JDRF letters and signs at our photo booths. She attended all our general body meetings, and she was a committee member. She raised over $300 for the JDRF Walk. She and her parents volunteered at the Campus Tour.
Trevor BlakeClass of 2018, member since fall of 2014
“The organization Dawgs for Diabetes has been an incredible group to be a part of! I really enjoy that there is this community that I could go to and call upon no matter what problems I have in regards to diabetes or any college problems! They are family and I love them and I want nothing but for this group to the flourish and I want to be there every step of the way!!
Trevor helped us find new members at the activity fair. He was a CIT at Camp Kudzu this year. He attended the JDRF Walk in Athens, and brought a friend to help with the photo booth. He helped create our faces of diabetes campaign. He attended all our general body meetings, and he was a committee member. He brought friends with him to meetings and social events. He helped with our first educational dorm program this semester. He helped spread awareness on World Diabetes Day. He also volunteered at the Campus Tour. Check out Trevor’s interview in the Red and
Black
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Antonio LeonardClass of 2017, member since fall of 2014
“In the beginning of my sophomore year in college, I knew that I needed to involve myself in some kind of extra-curricular activity. As I browsed through countless organizations, Dawgs for Diabetes grabbed my attention. Recently, my mother was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. I honestly did not think much of the effects or symptoms of diabetes. When I joined Dawgs for Diabetes, I was touched to understand what my mother was going through. Since then, I have been open to help in any way to spread the awareness of diabetes. Despite spending only one semester since joining Dawgs for Diabetes, my involvement with diabetes will last a lifetime.”
Antonio attended all meetings this semester and social events, and he was a committee member. He brainstormed fundraising and awareness ideas with us. At the JDRF Walk in Athens, he was one of our
members to assist with face painting in our family fun area.
Top FundraisersWe recognize how important fundraising can be; for Diabetes non-profits and to help us run. Without our members assisting in fundraising through canning, bake sales, letter writing, emails, social media, and other means we would not have been able to reach our fundraising total this semester. Our funds this semester went to JDRF and the Campus Tour.
Haley WhiteClass of 2018, member since fall of 2014
Haley helped us raise over $1,300 for the JDRF Walk and for D4D. After completing her first semester of college, she offers advice to future college students, but also to anyone who is busy and living with Diabetes.
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“As my first semester of college came to an end, I thought about my new life as a diabetic college student. First of all, I learned that taking a four-day-a-week 8 AM class was probably not the smartest idea. I also took 16 credit hours, so I didn’t finish class each day until 3:20 PM. My days, to say the least, were long. So, I had to figure out a schedule: when I should eat; if I had time to eat; when I should be taking my long-lasting medication; etc. Though I was not concerned about coming to college with diabetes, I didn’t realize how obnoxious it would be once I got here. Because of my busy schedule, I barely had time to eat. Sometimes, I would have to cut studying time so that I could go grab a quick meal. Most of the time, however, I would skip a meal or two just so I could do work. Long story short, I never really had an eating schedule--it became a day-to-day thing. Through the craziness that is college, I learned that eating is probably one of the most important things (especially for a diabetic). So, my advice to anyone struggling with the same issues I had: carry a snack, ANY snack. Have an apple, some crackers, or even a half sandwich. That ended up being my solution to my eating-or lack thereof-schedule. All in all, try your best not to skip any meals; but if need be, carry some snacks with you to tie you over until the next meal.”
Other top fundraisers; Laura Gillespie, Mindy Bartleson, Riley Jenkins, Sarah Gibson, Meagan Will, LauraKate Buttrill, and Laura Greenich
A Note from Exec:Vice President, Sarah Gibson-
“You have Type 1 diabetes; you and your mom need to head to the hospital right
now. There’s no time to go home and get anything. They’re waiting for you in Atlanta.” Getting checked out of 10th grade Literature started the whirlwind of a day that changed the rest of my life. Getting my diagnosis did not affect me as most would expect in this scenario. I sat in the hospital bed with countless doctors, nurses, and caretakers coming in and out to talk to me, answer questions, and teach me how to manage diabetes without much emotion. I didn’t cry upon receiving the news; I had a numb exterior and just wanted to go home so that I could go to my Festival for band class. I have a somewhat different experience than most when it comes to my diagnosis, since I was diagnosed as a teenager and had to alter my everyday actions and thoughts to incorporate this new obstacle. I do not see Type 1 diabetes as a “curse” or a “death sentence” in my life. I do see it as an annoying obstacle course that does challenge me at times, though. I feel lucky that I have been given
an opportunity to make a difference in the diabetic community, and hopefully the world.
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As a sophomore in high school, my classmates and I had been told that we needed to find our career path and decide what we wanted to do with the rest of our lives. My career choice changed multiple times as I weighed the pros and cons of each life path and I strained to imagine how the rest of my life would go. I knew that I wanted to help people and work with children but those two aspects could apply to so many careers, but I had a little help focusing when I received my diagnosis. I thought about being a veterinarian, since I loved cats, but soon realized that I would have to put down animals which turned me off. I then went to psychologist, but I am not very good at giving or receiving advice so that career was quickly marked off the list. My career choice kind of fell into my lap when I was admitted to CHOA (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta) as I learned about diabetes and how it effects the daily lives of many children and adults. I can’t pinpoint exactly when I decided that Pediatric Diabetes Education would be the journey I would embark on, but I know that it was
soon after leaving the hospital with my extensive knowledge of this disease. I want to be that person who is telling the newly diagnosed boy or girl that everything will be okay and that I have been in their shoes- and I am thriving. Hearing advice and tips is easily trusted and taken to heart when you feel like that person has first-hand knowledge, in my opinion. I
am currently hitting many bumps and curves in this journey towards my dream career helping people and working with children, but I know that it will soon be worth the struggles and that I will impact so many lives. I am thankful for the diabetic community that I am now a part of and the many relationships I would not have if I were not diagnosed. While educating about Type 1, I hope to influence people like I was almost 5 years ago and instill hope in the children and families impacted by Type 1. -Sarah Gibson, Class of 2016, Vice President
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Sarah’s first Athens JDRF Walk- 2010 (7 months after diagnosis)
