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Reach out, make a difference in community

When was the last time you reached out to help make a difference in your community? The Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) 2010 Program can help you reach out to people with diabetes.

REACH 2010 will host a seminar during Volunteer Week on April 23 - 25, from 11 a.m. to noon, in room 402 of the Basic Science Building. The Basic Science Building is located at 173 Ashley Avenue, and attendants are advised to park in the G Lot.

Presenters will discuss diabetes, nutrition, and volunteer activities. Lunch will be served, and it is free to the public.  “If you've got diabetes, you can do something about it,” said Ida Spruill, REACH 2010 project director. There are mechanisms out here to help combat this burden, and what better way for people with diabetes to learn about these mechanisms than through you.

To register for the seminar, call Simone White at 792-5872. For more information, Abraham at 792-0685.

After receiving funding from the Centers for Disease Control, the REACH 2010 Program began in September 1999. REACH 2010’s mission is to help people better manage their diabetes. REACH 2010 serves as a resource for people with diabetes who reside in Charleston and Georgetown counties.  The program's focus is on decreasing the disparities related to diabetes in African Americans. REACH 2010 offers diabetes education, information about healthy eating on a budget, ways to increase physical activity, and linkages to resources to help with diabetes care. 

The program's staff is comprised of a team of health professionals who are committed to improving diabetes and eliminating disparities. “Diabetes awareness is the only way to prevent this chronic disease from consuming more lives,” said Latecia Abraham, REACH 2010 community program coordinator.

REACH 2010's staff is determined to make a difference in the community and to improve outcomes. 

“The best way to decrease diabetes disparities is for health care professionals, the community, people with diabetes, and their families to all work together to address the issues, “ said Carolyn Jenkins, Dr.P.H., REACH 2010 principal investigator.

As a result, the program is always searching for volunteers to help fulfill the many needs of people with diabetes.