HOPE Connects & Peer Support Programming
Diabetes Hope Foundation (DHF) is a grassroots not-for-profit organization founded by its current chair, Barbara Pasternak, in 1999 after two of her sons were diagnosed with diabetes. The foundation’s mission is to provide education and resources to help youth with diabetes transition to a healthier tomorrow.
HOPE Connects Program
HOPE Connects Program matches post-secondary students with a knowledgeable upper-year mentor from Diabetes Hope Foundation’s alumni network of 686 type 1 youths living across Canada. Students can register for a mentor at any point during the academic year and the program is offered at no cost to secondary and post-secondary students.
Peer Support Program
The Peer Support Program matched teens who have diabetes, ages 13 to 18, with a type 1 buddy to provide social and emotional support while they are transitioning or waiting to access diabetes and other pediatric healthcare services.
