Rock Church Diabetes Ministry Encourages Education and Support

March 2, 2013 - PRLog -- On March 26, the American Diabetes Association will be sponsoring “Alert Day” as a wake-up call asking the American public to take the Diabetes Risk test to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The Rock Church’s Diabetes Ministry works to support and educate people year round about diabetes.

Alert Day focuses on raising awareness about risk factors for developing diabetes. The American Diabetes Association is encouraging people to take “Risk Test” assessments that ask people questions about their weight, age, family history, and other potential risk factors. The company “Boar’s Head” is helping sponsor this event by making a $5 donation to the American Diabetes Association, every time the Diabetes Risk Test is taken.

The Rock Church’s Diabetes Ministry meets weekly to help, support, and educate all people about diabetes. People with diabetes, their families, and caregivers are welcomed to share their emotional, physical, and spiritual concerns that diabetes may bring to their lives. The ministry discuss how to manage insulin, the importance of healthy eating, and how our minds and emotions contribute to our overall well- being. The diabetes ministry also recently began partnering with pharmacy students from the University of California San Diego to perform blood glucose testing periodically after services.  This groups meets every Tuesday at 6:30PM to support any individual struggling with diabetes.

According to the Center for Disease Control, 26 million children and adults in the United States are afflicted with diabetes. It is estimated that 79 million adults have pre-diabetes, this is where blood sugar levels are higher than normal and increases a person’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes can lead to complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney disease, stroke, or death. Completing a Risk Test can help an individual work to prevent diabetes and the complications associated with it. Those with pre-diabetes should work to increase their levels of physical activity and begin a healthy eating regimen.

The Rock’s Diabetes Ministry Leader, Henry Alvarez, became involved in the ministry in October of 2012 after suffering from a heart attack due to a blood clot and diabetes. “It [Diabetes Ministry] has helped me be supportive of others and get different outlooks on life. When you see other people uplifted by the same disease, it teaches you a lot about inner self. Hopefully, I can pass this to someone else,” says Alvarez. He hopes to continue to expand his outreach because he loves the, “positivity of the whole ministry.”


*Center for Disease Control and Prevention