WELLESLEY, Mass., Sept. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life Financial
U.S. is proud to announce the eight 2017 winners of the Team Up
Against Diabetes grant program, which awards organizations for
supporting diabetes prevention, management, and education efforts
in their local communities. Recipient organizations vary from youth
camps to adult programs to senior support initiatives in locations
across the country.
"We have actively supported diabetes awareness, prevention, and
education in many ways," said Dan
Fishbein, M.D., president of Sun Life Financial U.S. "Now
our grant program has allowed us to connect with local grassroots
organizations that we might otherwise not have been able to
support. There are so many community programs throughout the
country, and we look forward to working with more of them each year
through the Team Up Against Diabetes grant program."
2017 Team Up Against Diabetes grant program winners:
American Diabetes Association,* Camp PowerUp,
New Orleans, La.
Camp PowerUp is a place where children learn valuable skills they
need to live a full and healthy life. It is specifically designed
for children with multiple risk factors for developing type 2
diabetes. The program offers a structured, kid-friendly program in
key areas, including nutrition education, fitness, and health and
wellness education. The program also provides parents with
dedicated sessions that cover topics their children are learning at
camp so they can continue to influence their child's behavior and
provide continued support for healthy lifestyle choices after
camp.
American Diabetes Association,* What Can I Eat?,
Indianapolis, Ind.
What Can I Eat? (WCIE) is an interactive diabetes
self-management support program. WCIE focuses on nutrition
education for adults with type 2 diabetes and their caregivers. The
program consists of four weekly 90-minute sessions, followed by a
reunion three months later, which serves to reinforce positive
behaviors and share life lessons. WCIE uses activities that
motivate and empower participants to adopt healthier eating habits,
such as learning to read food labels while shopping for
groceries.
Camp Surefire Foundation, Camp Surefire, Bristol, R.I.
Camp Surefire is a summer program for youths with type 1 diabetes.
The weeklong overnight program features recreational activities,
diabetes education seminars, and socialization with peers who
understand the unique challenges of living with type 1 diabetes.
Camp Surefire is for children ages 6–17, with all volunteer
counselors, who receive field experience in medicine, pharmacology,
education, and nutrition.
The Sulzbacher Center, Sulzbacher Diabetes Care
Initiative, Jacksonville,
Fla.
The Sulzbacher Diabetes Care Initiative provides clinical care and
education for homeless and uninsured adults. It was created to
address the growing need for diabetic medical care for the homeless
and low-income members of the local community. The initiative
consists of four components: provision of glucometers and test
strips; diabetic nutrition classes; provision of medication and
pharmaceuticals; and diabetic eye care.
Supportive Older Women's Network (SOWN), Philly Families Eat
Smart (PFES), Philadelphia,
Pa.
PFES aims to reduce obesity and improve physical wellbeing for
grandparent-headed families. PFES, a project of the GrandFamily
Resource Center, works not just to educate, but also to foster peer
support relationships and ultimately change lifestyle behaviors.
Children and their custodial grandparents will participate in the
educational and experiential program twice a month. Topics and
activities include: emotional eating, physical fitness (including
sidewalk games and yoga), cultural food choices, and attitudes
toward wellbeing.
West Virginia Health Right, Diabetes Self-Management for
Low-Income Appalachian Adults, Charleston, W.V.
The Diabetes Self-Management for Low-Income Appalachian Adults
program provides diabetic care for underprivileged patients in the
community. The program offers direct medical care by carefully
monitoring glucose levels and other health-related markers, as well
as providing eye exams. Patients also participate in exercise
activities, hands-on cooking methods, and weight-loss techniques.
Enrollees in the program commit to one class per month, and at
least one other class, such as exercise, stress management, or
smoking cessation, that addresses risk reduction.
YMCA of Southern Maine,** Youth in Motion, Portland, Maine
The YMCA of Southern Maine's Youth
in Motion initiative works with local youth at risk of developing
diabetes or other health conditions associated with a sedentary
lifestyle. These children are referred to the Y by pediatricians
affiliated with Maine Medical Center. The Y matches each child with
an adult mentor who engages them in fun, accessible physical
activity and the Y's three dimensions of health and well-being for
youth: relationships, accomplishments, and belonging. Children in
the program meet with their mentors once a week for 12 weeks.
YWCA of Asheville and Western North Carolina, Diabetes
Wellness and Prevention Program, Asheville, N.C.
The Diabetes Wellness and Prevention Program is a newly enhanced
effort at the YWCA of Asheville.
It will use evidence-based curricula and referrals through
partnerships with community organizations, including Western North
Carolina Community Health Services, to help increase diabetes
education and awareness. Other local initiatives that focus on
increased access to healthy foods, such as the Double Up Food Bucks
program, will support participants in the Diabetes Wellness
program. The program participants will attend classes for six
weeks, followed by six months of weekly support group
meetings.
Grant applicants are considered based on their efforts toward
the diabetes cause and on innovative approaches to wellness,
nutrition, and obesity prevention. Applications are reviewed by a
panel of Sun Life employees, business partners, and independent
health experts.
The application process for 2018 will begin in November. Please
visit www.sunlife.com/usgrants for more information on the Team Up
Against Diabetes grant program.
Sun Life is strongly committed to fighting type 2 diabetes. In
the U.S., Sun Life is a national supporter of the YMCA of the
USA's Diabetes Prevention Program,
and is expanding its support to help the organization bring the
program to employers across the country, helping to address
diabetes in the workforce. Sun Life also supports the YMCA of
Greater Boston's Diabetes
Prevention Program by teaming up with the Boston Celtics in the
annual #SunLifeDunk4Diabetes social fundraising campaign.
Nationally, Sun Life is also committed to diabetes prevention,
education, and awareness, sponsoring the American Diabetes
Association's Health Champion Designation initiative, which
recognizes employers who are dedicated to wellness in the
workplace. For more information about Sun Life's commitment to
diabetes, visit www.sunlife.com/usdiabetes.
*Sun Life Financial is a national sponsor of the American
Diabetes Association. Sun Life does not sponsor any local
association chapters.
**Sun Life Financial, partnered with the Boston Celtics, offers
the annual youth Fit to Win program at the YMCA of Southern Maine, as well as at other New
England YMCA locations.
About Sun Life Financial
Sun Life Financial is a
leading international financial services organization providing a
diverse range of insurance, wealth, and asset management solutions
to individuals and corporate Clients. Sun Life Financial has
operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United
States, the United Kingdom,
Ireland, Hong Kong, the
Philippines, Japan,
Indonesia, India, China,
Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bermuda. As of June 30,
2017, Sun Life Financial had total assets under management
of C$944 billion. For more
information, please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial, Inc., trades on the Toronto (TSX), New
York (NYSE), and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the
ticker symbol SLF.
In the United States, Sun Life
Financial is one of the largest group benefits providers, serving
more than 60,000 employers in small, medium, and large workplaces
across the country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of products and
services in the U.S. includes Disability and Absence Management,
Life, Dental and Vision, Voluntary, and Stop-Loss insurance. This
includes the acquisition of Assurant Employee Benefits in Q1 2016.
For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us.
About the Sun Life Team Up Against Diabetes grant
program
The Sun Life Team Up Against Diabetes grant program provides
support to charitable organizations focusing on diabetes prevention
and management, as well as wellness, nutrition, and obesity
prevention. Grants are awarded in $10,000, $25,000,
or $50,000 amounts. For more
information, visit www.sunlife.com/usgrants.
Media contact:
Devon Portney Fernald
Sun Life Financial
781-416-7151
devon.portney.fernald@sunlife.com
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial