Foundation Helps Central Florida Diabetics Find Community
by REBEKAH PIERCE
Although diabetes is a diagnosis shared by more than 38.4 million Americans, it’s a disease that makes many people feel alone.
The Type Zero Foundation is on a mission to change that. Founded by Christina Martin in 2016, the nonprofit organization serves communities in Central Florida.
“The mission behind Type Zero Foundation is to create a space of everyday support for families impacted by diabetes,” Martin explains. “I started it as a result of my own diagnosis [of Type 1 diabetes] when I was 13 and feeling very alone and discouraged about what my life would look like. I knew I wanted to change that. Through a lot of trial and error, having a wonderful group of humans who care about his mission as well, it became the nonprofit we have today.”
Type Zero is unique because it supports entire families, rather than just the diagnosed individuals, who are impacted by Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
“It’s important to us that everyone feels included in the family,” Martin adds.
The foundation partners with local organizations to host free or deeply discounted events, including support events and dance and sports programs for children and adults alike. Coming up soon is the Dia-Elf Project, in which elves with diabetes make surprise home visits to families that have a child with diabetes.
“It brings a lot of joy to families because the holidays can be a really stressful time when trying to manage [diabetes] and can come with a lot of shame. It’s meant to create positive core memories for the kids.”
The main goal of the foundation is to foster a sense of connection and belonging among the families it serves. This can, however, be challenging.
“One of the biggest challenges has been having enough donations and funding to be able to provide accessible events. Our goal is to be accessible to people of all income levels. Diabetes is such an expensive disease,” Martin says.
As a result, she’s worked hard to forge partnerships with local businesses and organizations to offer discounted or free events. “We have a partnership with Northwest Dance Studio where we’re able to offer small group meetups and dance classes on a sliding scale,” she explains.
In addition to the foundation, Martin runs a diabetes-inclusive personal training program called Stronger Than 1 Fitness League, where individuals work with a trainer who understands the disease.
She’s worked to get the word out about what the foundation offers. “Sometimes it can be confusing. People don’t necessarily understand why we do this. [But] when you witness how a child or adult feels happier when they attend, they feel proud, that is why we do this.”
The sign-up process for families is easy: You can become a member for free by visiting the Type Zero website. Then, you’ll be connected with a Family Coordinator to help connect you with resources. If you choose, you can later serve as a volunteer or match with a newly diagnosed family to serve as a mentor yourself.
While Type Zero works exclusively in Central Florida, Martin’s goal is to expand the foundation to add a physical location where families can go for support. She’d also like to extend her services to additional communities around the United States. However, she underscores the importance of maintaining the quality of the program as the foundation scales.
Learn more about the foundation at www.typezerofoundation.org.