Volunteers Make a Difference!
In the spirit of National Volunteer Week, which began Sunday, April 15, a few of Breakthrough T1D’s extraordinary volunteers explains what volunteering means to them. Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers who are at the core of our mission :
Allison Tyler
2018 One Walk Chair, Loudoun County Co-Chair
“I volunteer to help improve the lives of those that have to manage T1D. No matter if it’s a parent supporting a child diagnosed or a newly diagnosed teenager (and everyone in between) they need to know there is an organization dedicated to finding a cure. Â The improvements to managing diabetes that I’ve seen since being diagnosed over 30 years ago has been life changing. I volunteer to help make those improvements keep happening and to turn Type One into Type None!”
Anita Simmons
2018 Breakthrough T1D One Walk, Washington DC Chair; Team Captain, Alex’ Terminators
“I volunteer for Breakthrough T1D because I know that it helps not only my son who is a type 1 diabetic but also other kids just like him. It also gives me access to a community that implicitly understands our daily life with this disease.”
Charlie Smiroldo
Breakthrough T1D Real Estate Games Sponsorship Committee Co-Lead
“I genuinely love working with the Breakthrough T1D team members because everyone is so passionate. In business, people want to align and work with others that are paddling in the same direction and at the same speed, and I feel like that is what we get with the Breakthrough T1D Real Estate Games. For years, I participated in the Games and sought out a way to be more impactful with Breakthrough T1D, and ultimately realized that leveraging my business relationships and friendships could be invaluable to the games. To know that the money we are raising is actually moving the needle, along with actively working besides people that have T1D has been very impactful.”
Chris Kelly
Communications Committee Chair
“Being able to support Breakthrough T1D means the world to me. Everyone on the staff knows what families with loved ones who have T1D are going through and are working every day to make real change. It’s easy to be passionate when you feel like a part of the team. Our community is so strong and resilient; we are making real change happen!”
Pete & Ruthellen Sheldon
2018 Breakthrough T1D One Walk, MD Co-Chairs
“Breakthrough T1D is like an extended family to us. We reached out to Breakthrough T1D the day that Jake was diagnosed in 2005 and since that day we have met so many amazing people, both on staff at Breakthrough T1D and other families living with T1D. We strongly believe in Breakthrough T1D’s mission and that Breakthrough T1D is bringing us closer to a world without Type One.”
Interested in finding about volunteer opportunities with the Breakthrough T1D Greater Chesapeake & Potomac Chapter? Contact Kristen Van Meter at 443-792-4228Â or kvanmeter@jdrforg.
