James Nguyen

1. American Diabetes Association (ADA) James Nguyen American Diabetes Association 1701 North Beauregard Street Alexandria, VA 22311 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)

2. Values and Mission Our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. We fund research to prevent, cure, and manage diabetes. We deliver services to hundreds of communities. We give voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.

3. About Us The ADA was founded in 1940 by 28 physicians. For the first 30 years membership was limited to physicians only but in 1970 it aggrandized to general members. ADA is now a volunteer-driven organization based in Alexandria, Virginia.

4. Personal Connection As the executive director of this non-profit organization I am very passionate about our cause. There has been numerous accounts of diabetes affecting my family. Before I was born my mother’s father had died of diabetes, not giving me a chance to meet him. Also, when I was about eight years old my father’s mother, whom I rarely got to see, died of diabetes. As you can see this disease has affected my family as well as myself drastically. My goal is to try and prevent families from being in situations like my own.

5. Input Our organization is run by five experienced officers, health professionals, and help by the community. We depend upon donations, of any kind, from the community and allot them to various needs in our organization.

6. Process With the funding we receive, we attempt to efficiently research more on diabetes, start awareness campaigns, and make patients lives easier. We also host various events like; Step Out, Tour de Cure, School Walk for Diabetes, Team Diabetes, Diabetes Camp, and American Diabetes Month.

7. Outputs Although there is not an exact number of people directly helped by this program, it affects everyone with diabetes. Our research not only provides better methods of handling diabetes and preventing it, it keeps the research and interest in diabetes going to eventually, hopefully find a cure. Our events affect those who participate , giving them an opportunity to have fun and keep diabetes off their mind.

8. Outcome Our research helps to find better ways of preventing and detecting diabetes. The people already diagnosed with diabetes are affected by new care methods and medicines in order for them to enjoy a longer and happier life.

9. Specific Need in Community 25.8 million children and adult have diabetes in the U.S., that accounts for 8.3% of the population. We have many community programs, ie; American Diabetes Month, Winning at work, African American programs, Latino programs, and etc. These are designed to make the community aware of diabetes in order to prevent it and have a better community.

10. Linking ADA to Just Think American Diabetes Association Just Think The ADA is all about increasing awareness and preventing diabetes, they host programs to get people active and healthy. Just Think encourages critical action with diabetes, they have their own diabetes section to promote awareness and ways to stay healthy. They both promote people to take critical action against diabetes by making them aware of diabetes and encouraging a desirable outcome.

11. How does this link to Critical Thinking? Being an executive director for ADA, I have to make decisions that are going to affect us, which requires me to think critically. We must find ways to promote our cause to not only make people aware of it but to receive more donations. Then we must decide what is the best thing to do with the money, for example; to fund toward more research, to organize community programs , or to improve the lives of patients.

12. How does this link to Critical Action? The desired end result of everything we do is to have people take critical action against diabetes. Whether it be protecting yourself from diabetes, donating to the charities, or just explicating our cause to others. Critical action is what we value most at ADA.

13. How YOU can get involved http://www.diabetes.org/donate/?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=GlobalNavDON&utm_campaign=GD By going to this website you can donate various gifts or money that we will use for more research on diabetes. You may also help participate in our community programs by volunteering yourself.

14. Sources http://www.diabetes.com/ http://www.diabetes.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Diabetes_Association http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus