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Posted on September 5, 2012 by Carmen

• award, diabetes, Diabetes Hands Foundation, grants, Helmsley, Helmsley Charitable Trust Sustainability Grant

$150,000 grant helps ensure expansion and ongoing success of programs that connect, engage, and empower people touched by diabetes

BERKELEY, CA: September 5, 2012 – The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has awarded a $150,000 sustainability grant to the Diabetes Hands Foundation, which will be used to optimize and expand the foundation’s fundraising program and ensure broader service to people touched by diabetes around the world.

Founded in 2008, the Diabetes Hands Foundation connects, engages, and empowers people touched by diabetes, reaching nearly 1 million people worldwide each year both online and in real life.

“This grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust provides essential support for Diabetes Hands Foundation on its path to greater sustainability. We are thankful for the Helmsley Trust’s continued support as we build upon the successes of our programs that reach people with diabetes and their loved ones,” said Donna Hill, board chair of the Diabetes Hands Foundation.

“We now have dedicated staff and resources to take our development program to the next level,” said Ms. Hill. “This grant ensures that the Diabetes Hands Foundation remains viable as we focus on programs that will increase our outreach to people touched by this chronic health condition.”

“We recognize the value that the Diabetes Hands Foundation brings to the table as one of the leaders of the online community, which is why we want to see them continue to expand and succeed,” said David Panzirer, Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust.

Supporting Diverse Programs Serving People Touched by Diabetes

The Diabetes Hands Foundation development program will support the expansion of an array of programs that connect and empower people touched by diabetes, including:

• Two active online communities, TuDiabetes.org (in English) and EsTuDiabetes.org (in Spanish), with over 930,000 unique returning visitors each year;
• Big Blue Test, a program that emphasizes the positive effect that physical activity has on diabetes management. The Big Blue Test invites people to test their blood sugar, exercise for 14-20 minutes, test again and share their results online. Since 2010 more than 10,000 people have helped themselves by seeing an average drop of 20% when doing the Big Blue Test, and helped others, because with each Big Blue Test entry, the program sponsor has made a matching donation to help people with diabetes in need;
• Diabetes Advocates, a platform that connects nearly 100 leaders in the diabetes online community and supports efforts to improve the day-to-day lives of people living with diabetes.

ABOUT THE LEONA M. AND HARRY B. HELMSLEY CHARITABLE TRUST (www.helmsleytrust.org) The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting effective nonprofits in a variety of selected areas. Since 2008, when the Trust began its active grant-making, it has committed nearly $640 million to a wide range of charitable organizations.

ABOUT THE DIABETES HANDS FOUNDATION (www.DiabetesHandsFoundation.org): At the Diabetes Hands Foundation we believe that no one touched by diabetes should ever feel alone, because together we become stronger and have the power to generate positive change in ourselves and our community. Instead of looking at the disease, Diabetes Hands Foundation seeks to understand, connect and energize the millions of people living with this condition

Photo: David Panzirer, Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust with Manny Hernandez, Founder of the Diabetes Hands Foundation. Picture by Andreína Dávila