My name is Camille, I am 25. Despite a lot of research, joining online groups, ect. ,I still don’t personally know anyone else with T1. Anyone else out there know of how to meet people or of T1 volunteer opportunities or outings?
HI Camille! @CamilleoftheWater
there aren’t all that many of us so I would guess it’s typical to not actually know a lot of people with T1. I find that these self-help support groups it the best way to be in touch with others who have T1.
Volunteering is a great idea, please go to the JDRF main web site and there is a place to find a local chapter (the one nearest you). There should be plenty of walks/rides and other volunteering opportunities for you. Thank you for wanting to help. here is a link to the JDRF main website
JDRF walks - Find a Walk in Your Area - JDRF One Walk
Main web site http://www.jdrf.org/ you will have to select “JDRF near you”.
good luck! thanks so much!
If you want to meet other T1 people, face to face, there are several options. Some cities have T1 groups that meet each month. Your local hospital might have information about your area.
There are many T1 conferences. My favorite is the Friends For Life conference, for T1’s of all ages. It is an international conference for T1’s and their families in Orlando, Florida. Six days of talks on many topics, wonderful activities, and in the Disney World region, so side trips are great fun. There are many smaller conferences in many places in the US. Attending a conference is expensive, but it is so worthwhile.
You might want to give your local JDRF office a call. They might have information on T1 meetings, T1 walks, or T1 bike events for raising money for JDRF or the ADA. At these events you can meet other T1’s and become friends.
On Facebook there are many T1’s who have made friends, and they message each other, and some of them visit each other.
After 33 years with Type 1, I can say I have had significant connections with only 6 people. My mom couldn’t afford diabetes camp, and there was no one else in my school. One person was a CDE, a couple were friends of friends, one I met at the mall, but the one good friend I have had I met at jury duty just last year. Unfortunately she moved away recently, but we plan to keep in touch. So that has been very disappointing for me…I mean, there are supposedly a million of us in the U.S., right? Where the heck is everyone? 
Anyway, forums like these have been a great resource for finding other people who “get it”, and not just parents of Type 1 kids, which is what come across most. Nothing against them, but it’s different when you are the one experiencing Type 1 day in and day out, especially after many years. I’ve been to a couple of JDRF conferences, and hope to find more because our Southwest chapter doesn’t seem very active. So keep coming back here and we will try to connect as best we can!
Hi Joe!
Thanks for the tip. I have submitted my application for volunteer work and will soldier on in my journey!