WELLESLEY, Mass., Oct. 23,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Sun Life U.S. announced today
the 2023 winners of the company's annual Team Up Against Diabetes
grant program, which supports local organizations around the
country offering fitness, nutrition, and diabetes management
programs and services to at-risk and underserved communities. The
grant program is part of Sun Life's ongoing commitment to improving
access to healthcare.
"Our goal is to help people get the care and benefits they need,
focusing on broadening access to communities that need it most,"
said Dan Fishbein, M.D., president
of Sun Life U.S. "Our grant program has been instrumental in this
effort, supporting local organizations that provide impactful
programs and services to their communities. Diabetes has been Sun
Life's philanthropic focus for nearly a decade because it's an
epidemic in this country and can cause or exacerbate many other
health issues. We're pleased to continue this grant program that
helps people manage their diabetes and live healthier lives."
Sun Life's Team Up Against Diabetes grant program was launched
in 2016 and has awarded more than $2
million to community organizations in the U.S. The local
groups selected for grants provide health and wellness services for
diabetes prevention, awareness, education, management and care to
communities most vulnerable to diabetes.
The 2023 recipients of the Sun Life Team Up Against Diabetes
grant program are:
Bright Beginnings, Inc.| Health & Wellness for
diabetes prevention in Wards 7 & 8
Washington, D.C.
Sun Life's Team Up grant will support Bright Beginnings' efforts
to incorporate diabetes awareness, education, and prevention into
their programming for children and families residing in Wards 7 and
8, the two most under-resourced districts in Washington, D.C. The programming impacts more
than 400 individuals through the organization's Health &
Wellness program, which aims to establish a fresh food farmers
market, host weekly physical education activities, cooking classes,
and parent fitness classes, and provide educational materials and
resources.
Camp Surefire| Access to Camp Surefire for children
living with type 1 diabetes
Bristol, R.I.
Camp Surefire will use its Team Up grant to provide financial
assistance for youth to attend its overnight camp, which offers
children with type 1 diabetes a community of peers and promotes the
development of life-long skills to minimize the impact of diabetes
on their lives. Sun Life's grant will also support staffing and
program supplies for the camp. Camp Surefire is the only camp
dedicated to children living with type 1 diabetes in Rhode Island.
Chicago Commons Association| Heroes of Healthy
Habits
Chicago
Chicago Commons Association's Heroes of Healthy Habits program
provides holistic health and wellness services to low-income
parents on Chicago's South and
West sides, reaching nearly 470 families. Sun Life's grant will
support expansion of programming for diabetes awareness and
prevention, including culturally relevant messaging, leadership
training, nutrition and cooking workshops, and one-on-one diabetes
nutrition counseling.
CompuRecycling Center| Medical Ascension
Program
Washington,
D.C.
The CompuRecycling Center's Medical Ascension Program provides
high school youth with the opportunity to become Youth Diabetes
Management Coaches (YDMCs) for their families and communities. Sun
Life's grant will support a variety of program expenses, including
staffing support, physical education instructors, registered
dieticians, produce boxes for participants and training manuals for
YDMCs. The Team Up grant will be part of the program's goal to
create 300 new YDMCs.
Iowa City Free Medical Clinic| From Good to Great:
Improving health outcomes for Hispanic/Latinx individuals living
with diabetes & pre-diabetes
Iowa City, Iowa
The Iowa City Free Medical Clinic's Good to Great program aims
to supplement ongoing routine care for Hispanic/Latinx individuals
who are at risk for or living with diabetes by providing tools that
support their overall health. Participants receive Spanish-language
one-on-one health education, access to group workshops, exercise
programs, fresh fruits and vegetables, and nutrition and cooking
classes. Sun Life's Team Up grant will specifically support
increased staffing capacity to hire a registered nurse, purchase
insulin and other patient supplies, and hire a part-time
Spanish-speaking health instructor to create and facilitate a
bilingual diabetes program.
T2 Fitness Foundation| Fresh Start
Initiative
Virginia Beach,
Va.
The T2 Fresh Start Initiative is a free, 12-week comprehensive
wellness program that aims to decrease the health disparities
impacting Black women and individuals living in under-resourced
communities who have diabetes. Program participants attend
bi-weekly fitness classes, nutrition classes, and regular meetings
with a diabetes educator, and have access to group mental health
therapy. Sun Life's support will help T2 expand the program to
additional participants living in the Hampton Roads and Western Tidewater areas of Virgina.
The 2023 Team Up Against Diabetes video highlighting the six
organizations can be viewed here.
Each year, grant recipients are chosen by a panel of experts
from Sun Life and business partners. The panel reviews applications
and determines the organizations that have demonstrated innovative
approaches to diabetes support and education and broaden access to
nutrition and health services. This year's panel of judges
included:
- Samantha Breen, Sun Life
U.S.
- Robert Connors, M.D., Sun Life
U.S.
- Kim Coutinho, Sun Life U.S.
- Tracy Hamill, M.D., Sun Life
U.S.
- Ann-Marie Hejna, ComPsych
- Latoya Keatts, Sun Life
U.S.
- Peter Kilmartin, Aon
- Andre Lockett, Sun Life
U.S.
- Ryan Niles, Sun Life U.S.
- Brian Piccolo, DentaQuest, part
of Sun Life U.S.
- Nicole Potvin, Sun Life
U.S.
- Samantha Wu, M.D., Goodpath
In the U.S., Sun Life partners with the American Diabetes
Association as a national sponsor of the Project Power program and
supports local programs regionally with the Boston Celtics, Maine
Celtics, and Kansas City Royals. Globally, Sun Life has given more
than $37 million to diabetes causes
and health programs around the world.
Find more information here about the Sun Life Team Up Against
Diabetes grant program.
About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading
international financial services organization providing asset
management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual
and institutional Clients. Sun Life 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,
2023, Sun Life had total assets under management of
C$1.37 trillion. 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.
Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and
government benefits, helping more than 50 million Americans access
the healthcare and coverage they need. Through employers, industry
partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio
of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability,
absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss
insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sun Life employs nearly 8,300
people in the U.S., including associates in our partner dental
practices and affiliated companies in asset management. Group
insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of
Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in
New York, where policies are
issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.)
(Lansing, Mich.). For more
information visit our website and newsroom.
Media contact
Anjie
Coplin
Sun Life U.S.
Anjie.Coplin@sunlife.com
214-549-1553
Connect with Sun Life U.S.
https://www.facebook.com/SLFUnitedStates
https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-life-financial
https://twitter.com/SunLifeUS
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SOURCE Sun Life U.S.