Chicago, IL (October 26, 2018): DiabetesSisters welcomed 20 peer leaders in Chicago for the organization’s fourth annual Leadership Institute the weekend of September 28, 2018. Attendees were key volunteers of the organization, all women living with diabetes who offer their time each month leading PODS (Part Of DiabetesSisters) Meetups in their communities. PODS Meetups provide peer support, education, and encouragement for women with any type of diabetes or prediabetes. This year’s attendees traveled from 17 locations in 12 states: Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Virginia. The attendees shared over 600 years of experience with living with diabetes.
Leadership Institute faculty included diabetes advocacy expert Leyla Mansour-Cole, Esq., from the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC), and certified diabetes educator Kathy Warwick, RD, CDE, of Professional Nutrition Consultants LLC. Attendees also learned from two panels of their peers on topics including best practices in promoting and leading PODS Meetups, and living with diabetes for more than two decades. Erika Armani, Diane Bajalia, Diane Berinato, Jo-Nette Boyd, Jane Dyson, Clare Fishman, Connie Hanham-Cain, Andrea Herndon, Daphene Kimball, Shelby Kinnaird, and Denise Scheffler served as panelists who shared their experiences from several years of PODS leadership and/or advanced duration diabetes.
“We look forward to this weekend each year, where we can gather, learn from one another, and engage in ways to empower our community of women living with diabetes,” said Anna Norton, CEO. “Our fourth Institute continue to provide support and education to our Leaders, and supplied them more resources for the women we serve nationally. We are grateful for their time and dedication, and the support of our industry partners who provide the necessary funding for a program of this caliber.”
A DiabetesSisters signature program, PODS Meetups started in Raleigh, NC, in 2010 and has grown to support nearly 40 monthly meetups in various locations throughout the United States, including one that meets online. The program provides peer support, education and advocacy to women living with diabetes and prediabetes and serves more than 1,300 women annually.
DiabetesSisters recognizes and appreciates AstraZeneca, Dexcom, Boehringer Ingelheim-Lilly Alliance, Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi as sponsors of this year’s Leadership Institute.
About the PODS Meetup Program:
Since 2010, the PODS (Part of DiabetesSisters) Meetup Program has offered monthly support to women living with any type of diabetes or prediabetes, providing a safe and nonjudgmental place to discuss the successes and challenges of living with diabetes. Led by women living with diabetes, the groups offer true peer support focused on women and diabetes. The PODS Meetup Program reaches more than 1,300 women annually in person and online. Women age 18 and over, living with any type of diabetes or prediabetes, are invited to attend PODS Meetups. For more information on local PODS Meetups near you, or starting a group in your community, please complete the PODS Meetup inquiry form.
About DiabetesSisters:
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit, DiabetesSisters is the only organization nationwide focusing exclusively on women living with diabetes. Our mission is to improve the health and quality of life of women living with and at risk of diabetes and to advocate on their behalf. DiabetesSisters has a 20,000+ member peer network that unites women with diabetes for the purpose of support, education and advocacy. Signature programs include monthly peer support meetings (PODS Meetups); the Minority Initiative Program; online blogs, forums, and expert resources; and conferences throughout the US. For more information, visit diabetessisters.org.