Diabetes Donation Drive

What do you do with your unused and unwanted diabetes supplies? Diabetic Accessories have launched a Diabetes Donation Drive to distribute them to people in need.

Lyn from Diabetic Accessories, along with other NPOs, are accepting any donations for underprivileged people living with diabetes across South Africa. They collect unwanted and unused diabetes products from people and deliver them all over SA to groups and associations that can redistribute them to people in need.

Who are the organizations you support?

We support various organisations across SA:

• Tafelsig CDC
• Diabetes SA Port Elizabeth
• Diabetes SA Humewood
• Royal Hospital
• Diabetes SA Durban
• The Meeting Place on Kensington
• Dr William G.W. Legg
• Fellow College Primary Care
• Physicians of Zimbabwe
  

What kind of items are you looking for?

Anything related to diabetes care!

• Needles
• Insulin pumps
• Infusion sets and reservoirs
• Glucometers
• Test strips
• Freestyle Libre sensors

One of the most asked for things is Freestyle Libre sensors (which is totally understandable). So many newly diagnosed youngsters, with moms who are either single or unemployed, and cannot bear to prick their child’s fingers.

Glucometers are also essential. We receive so few and would really like to receive more. We replace batteries at our cost, check that they are working (if not, we contact the supplier to see if we may bring it in for a service to make it work again).

We buy strips if we don’t have any donated for that particular machine, or we buy a glucometer for donated strips as both of these are in huge demand because most of the Government Hospitals do not supply test Strips or glucometers any more. This is heartbreaking, to say the least.

Is there anything you don’t accept?

We are happy to receive any donations, except insulin as it is illegal to trade insulin. Each of the NPOs we work with will decide out of what they receive, whether they need to destroy, keep, or distribute.   We also have many needy families who contact us directly, either via Kids Powered by Insulin / Type 1 Support Group / Facebook / email, etc., and if we have, we will send to them, at our cost. 

Because we have drop off points in most towns, we aren’t restricted to what is and what isn’t allowed as each NPO will decide for themselves. Pretoria, Polokwane and Mpumalanga are the only places we do not have a drop off point and would love to find someone in each area please.

Can people donate towards courier costs? If so, how?

People who want to deliver to us in Johannesburg have often offered to drop off donations at our offices or we offer to collect and if they are in Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Vaal Triangle, Polokwane and they do not offer to pay courier fees, we will always gladly pay. 

Yes, people are welcome to pay or contribute to courier fees, if they would like to but so far we have always offered to pay.

You honestly cannot imagine how many people with diabetes need help these days!

If not with medical devices, test strips, glucometers, then with education, an ear to listen to, some advice, hope or support…

Lyn, Diabetic Accessories

Find out more about Diabetic Accessories here.

What to read next?

Free Healthy Food Guide – how to eat healthy with diabetes or to lose weight: Not sure which foods to eat if you have diabetes or want to lose weight? This Healthy Food Guide shows you exactly which foods to choose (and which to avoid), as well as sharing which portions to eat.

Diabetes-inspired businesses: None of us would choose diabetes, it’s true. But many of our community members have found a silver lining to diabetes with their diabetes-inspired businesses . Here are some of their stories – women who started a business specifically because of diabetes.

WhatsApp support groups for diabetics: One of our community members on Facebook suggested starting a WhatsApp support group in Gauteng for people with diabetes. Since then, a few other cities have started WhatsApp support groups.

Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash