SUGAR Helper Activities, Support & Program

Sharon A. Denham, DSN RN

What SUGAR Helpers Do

• Care about healthy lifestyles, diabetes prevention, & diabetes self-management.

• Share what they know with others.• Involve family, friends, and others.• Work alone• Work together• Have fun!

Things SUGAR Helpers Do….• Help others to better understand diabetes risks & prevention.• Provide local people with facts.• Make the risks of diabetes visible.• Talk about health.• Talk about diabetes prevention.• Tell about the Diabetes: A Family Matter website.• Talk about local diabetes resources.• Refer people for care.

Support Volunteers

• Monthly meetings• Ongoing communication• Public recognition• Award celebration

Work with SUGAR Helpers

• Be a positive role model.• Build for the future.• Ongoing annual training for volunteers.• Make accomplishments visible.• Broadly celebrate successes.• Involve a local champion or hero.

Involve Media

• Local newspapers• Radio series• Display posters• Handouts and flyers• Internet media• Word of mouth

Program Sustainability

• Be a positive role model for others.• Build for the future.• Ongoing annual training for volunteers.• Make county accomplishments visible.• Broadly celebrate successes.• Involve a local champion or hero. Chapter #8DiabetesEducator Manual

It Takes a Village

• Develop a theme for your county program and use it in your publicity

• Small steps• Everyone counts• Be fit

Work with Local Groups

• Involve groups where you are already a member.• Work as pairs of SUGAR Helpers.• Identify repeated things you can do as individuals.• Decide which toolkit materials & activities to use.• Plan follow-up activities.

Community Events

• Plan at least one large community event to involve your county team.

• Review the toolkit activities for suggestions.• Consider using community theatre and the

plays.• Think outside the health fair and hike.• Create something continuous….

Fund Raising Events• Sustainability• Toolkit activities• Choose things to do as a team• Big Truck Days!!!

Keeping Track

Setting Personal Goals

Keeping Track• Personal goals• County goals• Time management

Chapter #9 SUGAR Helper Manual

Program Materials

Order in plenty of time

Plan for Visits

• SUGAR Helper Training• Special event• Need to schedule

Visit Your County

Schedule times for visits

Material Orders

• Planned use for items• Item planned to use• Number of items• Notify early of needs• Identify drop-off points and persons