Disaster Preparedness Leader, Maryanne Strobel, RN, MSN, CDCES, believes that Certified Diabetes Education and Care Specialists (CDCES) have a lot to offer even if they are not reporting for their usual job. She has compiled a list of ways to get involved in virtual volunteering for those who are wanting to volunteer their time and expertise to their communities.

As Maryanne explains, “I am hearing from some of CDCES’s that they have been furloughed and are at home due to ‘stay-at-home’ orders or low hospital census days. Some are working reduced hours providing virtual medical visits or telephone consultation.

As professionals, we can continue to contribute and make a difference! Due to our unique inter-professional skill set, we have a lot to offer. We are in this profession out of a genuine desire to care for people, it is not in our character to sit back and watch as this pandemic unfolds.”

Maryanne Strobel

Here is list of ways to get involved in Virtual Volunteering:

• Connect with your colleagues:
  • Get the word that virtual volunteering is now an option and organize with your professional community.
  • Appoint someone to coordinate with everyone within your group who can organize and plan group ideas.
  • Create a “think tank” with your professional community to brainstorm ideas on how to become a virtual volunteer and address the needs of those in your community both throughout and after the pandemic. The challenges our community will face after this pandemic is over is known as the “second-wave” of a disaster event, which Maryanne suggests that how we deal with that is just as important.
• Check out your local communities organizations:
  • The www.allforgood.org organization and ww.pointsoflight.org are two organizations that you can learn and model from. 
  • Continue to keep in touch with your local organizations throughout and after the pandemic.
• Set up an After-Action review team:
  • This is a way to take what you learn from this event and “become better prepared to meet any future challenges.”
  • Continue to keep in contact with your local volunteer organizations.  

For more ways to get involved and learn about virtual volunteering, you can email Maryanne at: [email protected] 

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