A big thanks to Medtronic for sponsoring this post.
Have you ever heard of the Bakken Invitation honorees? The Bakken Invitation honors those who have overcome health challenges to give back to their communities. Krystal Boyea is one such honoree. She was diagnosed with Type I diabetes at the age of 10 and co-founded a diabetes clinic that serves those in need in her home country of Barbados. Diabetes is something that is always on my mind because my mom and uncle are Type II diabetics. I don't think I have ever mentioned it on here, but my mom does not take care of herself and I am forced to watch her slowly kill herself. It is an incredibly hard thing to do, which is why I love to see women such as Krystal live on and give on, helping others in her situation.
You can read more about each honoree here and on the infographic below.
I may not have Type II diabetes, but I do try to do several things to give back to my community. As many of you know, I suffered from ppd and ptsd after my son's traumatic birth. I am active in the International Cesarean Awareness Network and help others receive the support I did after my son was born and during my pregnancy and vbac with my daughter. I believe that every woman deserves the respect and care I received during my second pregnancy. Below are some other ways you can give back.
My favorite in this list is "Bloom Where You Are Planted." No matter where you are or what stage of life you're in, you can always find ways to grow within your community. This has been a lesson I have learned since coming back to Evansville almost four years ago. I never thought I would live here again after graduating college, yet here we are. And I am doing what I can to make the best of it and be involved in the community.
I'm giving you the opportunity to Live On. Give On. in your community as well. Leave a comment below sharing what you do to give back and you can win a $100 Visa Gift Card to benefit those in your community. The winner will be chosen on December 29 and you must be 18 or older to enter. Open to the US only.
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I volunteer at a nonprofit called Family Assistance in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My family has been volunteering there for 3 generations! and my grandma was one of the founders. We take in gently used clothing, bedding, books, and toys and give them to families in need in the community. Then with any monitary donations, we buy new underwear and socks to donate as well (because no one wants used undies haha). It is such a great organization that has been growing drastically every year! This year we started building a new place to house all the clothing and fill orders for families. I would just love to be able to help FA with their outreach!
ReplyDeletewe participate in delivering meals on wheels to people who need.
ReplyDeleteWow, all of these amazing people inspire me to go after my goals and do
ReplyDeletegood for others. I like David Watkins determination to overcome his
obstacles and start running again. I love to do things for people that
are least expecting it. I like to make care packages for people
in my grandma’s nursing home. I give cards, take in treats, and pictures drawn by my sons. This all brightens their day. Time is what I like to give to people.
Jessica jj250@aol.com
I send people that aren't expecting it care packages too. It's a wonderful feeling to do something nice for others.
ReplyDeleteI participate in meal trains to new moms through ICAN :-)
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome!
ReplyDeleteI am worried about becoming diabete because of my other health isdues. I think the Internet has allowed others to share their stories to help create awareness. I know that I've shared my own issues for that reason.
ReplyDeleteWow this is amazing! I can honestly think of many ways I try to give back. For instance, taking in a teenager whos mother has pretty much abandoned him. It's life changing but rewarding.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great cause and post filled with great info! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI try and volunteer. I've been slacking this season but I need to get on it again in the new year
ReplyDeleteThat's so great! My husband's family basically did that with a high school friend of his.
ReplyDeleteI am a member of the local lions club
ReplyDeleteI dedicate much of my time towards helping keep kids in my
ReplyDeletecommunity active. I teach tennis to underprivileged kids in my community and
would use the money to buy additional teaching materials and racquets.
whittikere(at)yahoo(dot)com
I volunteer at a shelter close to my home and love and
ReplyDeleteappreciate the relationships that I have built there. I love hosting small
events for them and would use the money towards creating more care packages for
families in need.
Linjumimom(at)aol(dot)com
I donate food each Thanksgiving and Christmas to our local food pantries. They always have bins at stop and shop to donate each year.
ReplyDeletepokergrl8 at gmail.com
I have known a lot of people close to me that have been
ReplyDeletediagnosed with diabetes. Krystal’s story really touched me because I do feel
like diabetes is one of those “hidden” diseases. You can’t physically spot it
but it’s one that can be very deadly if not treated properly. I love that
Krystal has become a voice for people with the disease and is really putting
her efforts into one location and doing as much as she can there.
The people that I surround myself with constantly inspire me
to give back. I’ve always been involved in community service activities and I
have found my passion in working with underprivileged Hispanic children. I
participated in the immersion program in my elementary school and I love the
language and am thrilled to be able to help with translations and providing
tutoring services etc. I would use the $100 to purchase teaching materials for
the kids! – Marie (mijulin[at]cox[dot]net)
I volunteer at my church's ESOL classes - we teach English to new immigrants. I would probably use the $100 to buy more materials for the class, or would donate it to our food pantry, as some of the families use that also.
ReplyDeleteI donate food, clothes, and money to my local shelter.
ReplyDeleterounder9834 @yahoo.com
I tend to give back in smaller ways. I think the kids seeing it's part of our live rather than an "event" will make a difference.
ReplyDelete