Club Chronicles: Book Lovers Study Club supports diabetes awareness

The GFWC Alabama state president’s special project is diabetes awareness, with an emphasis on supporting Camp Seal Harris. 

This project is a two-year, state-wide project supported by all the federated clubs of Alabama, of which Book Lovers Study Club is an affiliate.

Camp Seale Harris was founded in 1949 by Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Eichold in Mobile and is administered by Southeastern Diabetes Education Services.

Camp Seale Harris – named for renowned endocrinologist Dr. Seale Harris of Mobile – offers an innovative way to teach healthy behaviors outside of the doctor’s office or hospital setting.

The Camp provides year-round programs in nine locations in Alabama and northwest Florida, which include Auburn/Opelika/East Alabama, Birmingham, Cullman, Dothan/Southeast Alabama, Huntsville/North Alabama, Mobile/Southwest Alabama, Montgomery/River Region and Pensacola/Northwest Florida.

The Living Well programs include overnight camps, family camps, day camps and camp community programs.

The camp is a place where having diabetes is the norm, where you can compare and share stories with peers and where you don’t have to explain diabetes all the time because everyone there “gets it.”

They understand exactly what it’s like living with diabetes because they live with diabetes, too.

Kids and teens learn independence in managing blood sugar and medication, making healthy food choices and being physically active. Trained, adult volunteer counselors with diabetes are joined by physicians, nurses, diabetes educators, nutritionists and pharmacists to provide supervision and real-time feedback.

Camps include fun activities that vary by location. Community programs include family-oriented recreation and networking throughout the year.

The Southeastern Diabetes Education Services, a nonprofit, is the only charitable organization in Alabama and northwest Florida whose primary purpose is to provide direct residential, day and local programs and services that educate, encourage and empower children with diabetes and their families to live well.

Caring individuals, civic groups, businesses and foundations help ensure children with diabetes receive services each year. 

Recently Russellville Book Lovers Study Club donated $500 to CSH, which covers the fee for a child to attend a week-long overnight camp in Mobile.

The goal of the GFWC special project is to raise more than $10,000 for diabetes awareness.