Diabetes Hands Foundation receives $150K grant from Helmsley Charitable Trust

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Published on
March 15, 2011

As you may have learned about through DiabetesMine today, the Diabetes Hands Foundation (the nonprofit responsible for TuDiabetes, EsTuDiabetes and diabetes awareness programs such as Big Blue Test, No-Sugar Added Poetry and Word In Your Hand) has received a capacity building grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

We wanted to share this great news with the RoH community!

Below is the complete text of the press release we've published today announcing the grant...

Helmsley Charitable Trust Supports Diabetes Social Media Leader

BERKELEY, CA: March 7, 2011 –Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF), the nonprofit that runs social media health networks Tudiabetes.org and EsTuDiabetes.org, was awarded a $150,000 capacity building grant by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The grant enables DHF to sustain and support innovative diabetes awareness campaigns and online diabetes communities for which it has become a recognized leader (See Diabetes Forecast, December 2010).

"The Helmsley gift ignites opportunity for our current and new programs serving people touched by diabetes," said Manny Hernandez, president and founder of Diabetes Hands Foundation.

"Diabetes Hands Foundation exemplifies the kind of valuable grassroots enterprise and creative energy that the Helmsley Charitable Trust seeks to support," said Dana Ball, program director of the Helmsley Type 1 Diabetes Program. The Helmsley Charitable Trust is dedicated to supporting research and programs that improve the life of those living with diabetes. "We applaud the work of Diabetes Hands Foundation, which provides patient resources for millions of people living with diabetes around the world."

Diabetes Hands Foundation's social media networks, with communities nearing 40,000 registered users, include TuDiabetes.org in English and Estudiabetes.org in Spanish. Diabetes awareness campaigns led by DHF have reached viral proportions, such as the Big Blue Test.

Collaborating with Children's Hospital Boston, DHF developed TuAnalyze, a groundbreaking online application allowing users to track, share and compare their health information within the TuDiabetes.org community. Early data from the CDC-funded TuAnalyze project has shown improved health metrics in individuals sharing health information in this secure environment.

Express Your Diabetes, the DHF umbrella for its creative arts programs, engages the online communities through artistic expression of the impact of diabetes in people's lives. These programs, including the flagship Word in Your Hand campaign, No-Sugar Added Poetry and Making Sense of Diabetes, provide people with a creative outlet for their disease experience while increasing awareness of diabetes.

About The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, established in 1999, is administered by four Trustees selected by Leona Helmsley. As a continuation of the Helmsleys' generous giving through their lifetimes, the Trust supports a diverse range of organizations with a major focus on health and medical research in addition to programs in human services, education and conservation.

About the Diabetes Hands Foundation
The Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that connects people touched by diabetes and raises diabetes awareness such as the Big Blue Test. Through its online communities (TuDiabetes.org in English, EsTuDiabetes.org in Spanish) and its other social media channels, DHF offers support and information to nearly 200,000 people every month.
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