¡Bienvenidos! Thank you for visiting!

This summer, I will be volunteering with AYUDA (American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad, Inc.).

I traveled to the Dominican to volunteer with AYUDA two years ago, and have since been working with the founder and directors of the program to further develop the Dominican branch of AYUDA. My sister, Ali, has also volunteered several times and has been a volunteer mentor, facilitating interactions between volunteers, the program directors, and various foundations and locals who are essential to the cause. This year both Ali and I are volunteer mentors. We will both fly to the D.R. this March to meet up with some of the directors of Dominican diabetes foundations with which Ayuda works closely. Later, in April, we will go to D.C. to help train new volunteers, then we fly out with the volunteers for two weeks in June.

Any donation, no matter how small, is vastly important, and greatly apprectiated.

I will be spending two weeks in the Dominican Republic with AYUDA training youth leaders with type 1 diabetes to establish a network of youth for social change. Additionally, we will be conducting grassroots outreach projects, in which we will visit the homes of children in some of the most underserved areas of the country. In both program elements, we will provide both the education and supplies for youth with Type 1 diabetes and teach them and their families how to better manage their illness to prevent complications later in life.

AYUDA is a non-profit organization based out of Arlington, VA who works to empower youth to serve as agents of change in diabetes communities around the world, strengthen local diabetes communities by promoting youth leadership, and motivate youth with diabetes to lead healthier and happier lives. If you'd like more information about AYUDA, please visit their website at http://www.ayudainc.net/. For Dominicans living below the poverty line, and for children living with diabetes, this economic disparity often means a death sentence.

I am very excited to be part of AYUDA's team to work to improve the lives of so many children. I am passionate about providing assistance to others and to watch the quality of their lives improve because of strength, support, community, and love. While there is no cure for diabetes at this time, both you and I have the power to make a difference in these children's live by helping to prevent complications such as blindness, seizures, comas, nerve damage, among others. I'm working very hard to carry out this mission through AYUDA and would greatly appreciate any support that can be given.

I'm asking for whatever amount of donation you are able to give to positively influence the lives of these children. Feel free to forward this link to anyone you feel would be interested.

Thank you in advance for your support. -Jon Stein