The JDRF is an organization that raises money for research for diabetes cures and preventing diabetes, technology to help people take care of diabetes and support people living with diabetes for the rest of their lives. The JDRF has advocacy programs that visit the nation's capital that have been influential in the passing of the Special Diabetes Program (SDP). In 2019, the JDRF attracted roughly 4.14 million dollars to be put towards diabetes, including that from NGO's, Industry partners, Governments, and basic donations and fundraising.
The JDRF has a program for kids between the ages of 7 and 17 to have a chance to impact the diabetes community. The Youth Ambassador program gives opportunities to speak publicly about T1D, the JDRF, and also advocate and fund raise for the organization.
So far as a Youth Ambassador in 2020, I have been working with the rest of the program to create ways for diabetics to continue to stay healthy in the unexpected COVID-19 quarantine. We have been creating videos about what we are doing to get exercise, recipes on low carb meals, and fun ways to pass the time. The Youth Ambassador program is hosting a diabetes game night to help bring together diabetics in a fun and friendly way to give anyone who needs support what they want. In this time of uncertainty, helping to work to give a community to those who need it is necessary for mental, physical, and emotional help of the people this is available to, and we hope we can expand it to be there for everyone.
To help support both my actions as a Youth Ambassador for the JDRF and also give another resource to diabetics and people willing to learn more about diabetes, the "Simply Diabetes" podcast will be available to the public. This podcast will include everything from the science behind Diabetes and diabetes tools to daily interactions with diabetes. It is for any person who has interest in spending time to learn information that will forever help them support the 25 million Americans around them with Type One Diabetes, or for any diabetic who just wants another opinion on life.