Fighting Diabetes in New Orleans

This year on Juneteenth*, we teamed up with Walmart to raise awareness of diabetes in the lower income, predominantly African American communities in New Orleans. Walmart’s Health and Wellness partners supplied the literature for us to distribute and Tulane University provided a mobile screening unit and trained technicians to screen for diabetes. We targeted the neighborhoods around the store on Tchoupitoulas and the store in Algiers.

Below is an overview.

In Tchoupitoulas:

40 HOPE worldwide volunteers
42 Walmart volunteers
2004 brochures distributed
709 conversations with residents regarding diabetes

In Oakdale Park:

30 HOPE worldwide volunteers
25 Walmart volunteers 868 brochures distributed
375 conversations with residents regarding diabetes
47 individuals screened by Tulane Medical Diabetes Screening Van
More than double expected amount according to Tulane Medical, expected (18)
More than 1/3 of screened individuals were a direct result of a volunteer knocking on door in neighborhood

Total:

70 HOPE worldwide volunteers
67 Walmart volunteers
137 Total Volunteers
2,872 brochures distributed
1,084 conversations with residents regarding diabetes

38 volunteers from Houston traveled by charter bus for the event. They arrived at 4:30am at the gymnasium where volunteers slept on cots and showered in locker rooms. They arrived on time to participate at the Tchoupitoulas location and had an amazing time!

A group celebration was held at the Oakdale Park afterward with about half of the volunteers attending along with some of the residents encountered in the neighborhood!

*Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating and honoring African American heritage. It is every year on June 19th.

Visit us at www.HOPEww.org to learn more about all of HOPE worldwide’s programs and see how you can be a part of global change to bring hope to some of the world’s most needy.