April 19, 2021
JDRF was founded over 40 years by a group of devoted parents to provide a voice for the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community – and with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for T1D so that their children and all those who came after could know a world free from the disease.
So, the National Volunteer Week theme for 2021, The Value of One, The Power of Many feels very fitting, as it reflects on the awe-inspiring acts of kindness by millions of individuals AND the magic that happens when we work together towards a common purpose.
This past year was one like no other, as the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives completely. But one thing shone that through the darkness was the continued caring and compassion that we received from our volunteers.
As our fundraising events moved virtual, and we all learned new ways of staying connected from the safety of our homes, a constant was the support of our dedicated group of volunteers.
The power of people working together can bring about amazing changes and progress. And this has certainly been true at JDRF. All the major developments in T1D research have been funded or supported in some way by JDRF. And none of this would have been possible without the support of our volunteers.
Among some of the highlights of the past year:
- We held our second research symposium, Bringing Breakthroughs to Life, with our partner Health Canada.
- We created our Let’s Talk T1D education and connection series, which provided our community with relevant information on topics such as devices and the opportunity to share personal experiences with each other.
- Sernova announced that patients in their ongoing clinical trial, funded in part by JDRF show persistent islet function and clinically meaningful improvement in glucose control.
- With volunteers by our side, we continued our advocacy efforts federally to push for a renewal of research funding and provincially to demand #AccessforAll – affordable and accessible diabetes technologies for all Canadians living with T1D.
- Ustekinumab, a potentially disease modifying drug for type 1 diabetes, is now being tested in clinical trials in Canada.
- And most recently we’ve been advocating across the provinces to ensure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines for people living with T1D.
The National Volunteer Week theme is a nod to the past, a reflection of the present, and a wink to the future. The Value of One, the Power of Many was also the theme for National Volunteer Week in 2001, The International Year of Volunteers.
It was chosen again as it beautifully captures both the individual and collective efforts that have been demonstrated over and over again during the pandemic, as well as setting the tone for the next 20 years as the value of one act and the power of many helps us thrive collectively.
And it feels appropriate too for JDRF, as we commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the insulin hormone and look ahead to aggressively pursuing research that bring us closer to a cure. We know that this will only be achieved with the continued strength of our volunteers.
While we acknowledge our volunteers during this week, we our thankful and grateful for al they do each and every day.
We have over 500 volunteers across Canada, who have been with us for over 5 years.
While some choose to remain anonymous, we recognize them here:
Atlantic Canada
Prince Edward Island:
Brooks Roche
Nova Scotia:
Aaliyah Cook
Ralph & Pearl D’Eon
Hodder Family
Pam Hodgson
Elizabeth Lough
Shirley Macdonald
Sean Murray
Karen Pope
Gail Sinclair
Amanda Williams
New Brunswick:
Alisha Armour
Mary Chisholm
Renee Savoy
Newfoundland:
Karen Hollahan-Squires
Terry Ryan
Janine Stanley
Wendy Traverse
Quebec
Montreal:
Christine Blanchette
Michel Blaquière
Michel-Olivier Bruyère
Alex Garfinkle
Fanny Guimont-Desrochers
Lise Guinois
Lorne Hindle
David Kozloff
Michel Lachapelle
Maarika Paul
Sylvain Pelletier
Louis-Philippe Thibodeau
Réjean Tremblay
Justin Vineberg & family
Robert & Rhoda Vineberg
Ontario
Hamilton :
Alison Begbie
David Begbie
Doris Desantis
Dave Dunseith
Katy Dunseith
Connie Ellingham
Helen Hyett
Lana Line
The Nerby Family
William Purdy
Michael Steadman
Ottawa:
Trudy & Jeff Adams
Donna Dériger
Doogie Dick
Richard Eaton
Stephen Emery
Stasia Hadjiyannakis
Ann Harris
Sara Kearley
Annette Loebach Bater
Alicia Magliocco
Linda & Dean McNamara
Sarah Prendergast
Rosanna Toscano
Peel:
Helena Gottschling
Bonnie & Terry Jackson
Emma & Chris Marineau
Shawn Rice
Rohan & Nishi Sikri
Candice & Ken Trickey
Peterborough:
The Stimpson family
Toronto:
Graham Anderson
Susan Beamish
Saida Boutahar
Sheldon Finkelstein
Kristen Garland
Judy Goldring
Dana Greenberg
Marley Greenberg
John Macintyre
Vanessa Oliver
Fred Ribinoff
Lorne Shiff
Robert Smuk
Lacey Stewart
Alison Turner
Matthew Varey
Scott Williams
Windsor:
Mary Licata
Cathy Smith
Dave Williams
Janice Wirch
Waterloo:
Jane Schuett
Jim Schuett
Lindsay Ware
Manitoba:
Winnipeg:
Kerrie Abel,
Brad Alexander
Lori Amedick
The Argo Family
Amit Bindra
Gerry Bingham
Annett Bingham
Barb Chapman
Bonny Chapman
Claude Chapman
Bob Dann
Darrin Davis
Sue Dillabough
Sandy Evans
Heidi Forrester
Megan Gillespie
Nick Hajidiacos
Ryan Heckert
Rita Hildahl
Wayne Hildahl
Deanne Jones
Garth Lancaster
Tracey McLeod-Stecy
Beth Mungal
Jackie Murray
Cheryl Peltier
Ivan Poturica
Ken Preston
Tannis Richardson
Michele Scharf
Paul Scharf
Mike Scott
Tannis Scott
Noah Silvaggio
Tara Silvaggio
Nadia Klun Stadler
Leif Thorsteinson
Clint Toews
Margo Toole
Noah Weiszner
Myrna Weiszner
Jessica Williams
Brandon:
Simone Dixon
Jamie Olsen
Saskatchewan:
Regina:
Bonnie Barber
David Easton
Carla Feld
Ted O’Brien
Saskatoon:
The Rowe Family
Maria Strasser
Alberta :
Calgary:
Laurie Friesen
Jim Giroux
Mark Hawkins
Stephen Kennedy
Ryan Macdonald
Ron Miller
Jacqueline Molin
Marc Molin
Judy Williams-Park
Edmonton:
Nancy Arnold
Chantel Bauer
Debbie Atkinson
Adam Gilewicz
Stephen Karlowsky
Arlene Kemble
Ken Kenitiuk
Deb & Frank Key
Greg Mailo
Warren Matthews
Craig Morrison
Nancy Tout
Monica Yeats
British Columbia:
Jim Beattie
Kris & Ashit Dattani
Mary Jane Devine
Kim Findlater
Stephanie Orr
Christina Pearce
Michelle Tice