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Diabetes Viewpoints

It’s Your dLife. Now It’s Your dLife Foundation

By Tom Karlya

Tom pic Recently, a friend of mine asked me about the dLife Foundation and its ties to Hurricane Katrina. I started off by saying that the last thing this planet needed was another diabetes organization, foundation, nonprofit or whatever else you wanted to call it, unless…..it was something different. But truth be known, the amazing efforts of the dLife viewing audience during Hurricane Katrina is a large part of why the foundation was formed. It’s your Foundation

As the world now knows, dLife was front and center setting up for and supplying the needs of over 10,000 people with diabetes in the most remote parishes of Louisiana and Mississippi that were the hardest hit areas, and we had a ton of help doing so. During that time, checks starting coming in, as did cash, to help in the efforts. Since we had no such entity as the dLife Foundation at the time, and to make sure everything was allocated correctly, we partnered with a nonprofit organization to help distribute the funds in the appropriate manner. There and then we knew a completely separate entity from the dLife corporation would be much needed. The concept of the dLife Foundation was born.

My background of over 12 years has been in the nonprofit world and almost entirely surrounding diabetes causes. Let’s be clear. There are many, many fabulous diabetes organizations out there and the creation of the dLife Foundation should not be faced as a competition, but I have learned a few things that will make this Foundation different:

1 – Outside of raising money for research and education, there are very few organizations out there to help people who are in actual need of supplies – a child whose parent lost their job, those in bad times, and even seniors who cannot afford the supplies. That has now changed with the dLife Foundation.

2 – Why is it that a group of people cannot raise money for worthwhile causes and have a say where the money goes, like in specific communities for specific needs like an education program for kids, camps, or even to help give glucometers to a center in need? That has now changed with the dLife Foundation.

3 – Why can’t those who raise the money have a say as to whether a portion should go toward one research center and a portion to another and still some of the money go toward helping people right in their own back yard? That has now changed with the dLife Foundation.

You raised the money. Shouldn’t you know where it is spent? Shouldn’t you help allocate it? We will support so many organizations that now exist—we will complement them, not compete with them. But just as the separate entity that has educated millions in understanding that this is your dLife, the designated charity for the same organization states this is your dLife Foundation.

Go to www.dLifefoundation.org and drop a buck or two and help those who don’t have what you have; help those who cut blood strips in half to make them last longer; perhaps send a child to camp this summer; or even help fund a support group’s efforts. You’ll feel good about it. If you want more information, email me at karlya@dLife.com. I’m a diabetes dad.