iPump, Inc.

Archive for the ‘iPump Press Releases’ Category

Manny Hernandez Appointed to iPump Board of Directors

iPump.org, Inc. Press Release:  June 9, 2008
For Immedicate Release
pdf Press Release

iPump.org, Inc. a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity is pleased to announce the appointment of Manuel (Manny) Hernandez to the iPump board of directors.

Mr. Hernandez brings a wealth of skills and experience to the iPump Board.  He is a Social Entrepreneur and a Community Strategist committed to connecting people touched by diabetes. He has over twelve years of experience doing product and content management. He has worked with Procter & Gamble, Quepasa.com, Earth911, Pets911, Full Sail University and Ning. He is a fully bilingual (Spanish/English), fluent in French, and conversational in Italian and German.

Mr. Hernandez writes a monthly column called “Hola Diabetes” for dLife.com in English and Spanish, aimed at the Latino diabetes community. He also writes the section “Diabetes Hacker” in MyDiabetesCentral.com, aimed at uncovering useful web sites for people with diabetes.  He has also been a guest on NPR on the “Diane Rehm Show.”

In 2008 Mr. Hernandez co-founded Diabetes Hands Foundation along with his wife Andreina. The Diabetes Hands Foundation (DHF) is a nonprofit organization that operates two social networks for people touched by diabetes:   TuDiabetes.com (in English) and EsTuDiabetes.com (en español).   Both of these widely-respected diabetes websites were created and established by Mr. Hernandez.  The DHF seeks to provide an open space for people touched by diabetes to connect with others in pursuit of a healthy life through support, information and creative expression.

About iPump.  iPump provides assistance to persons of any age with any form of diabetes, legally residing in the United States.  Established in June of 2006,iPump is the only full-service assistance organization serving diabetics throughout the United States.  iPump accomplishes its mission largely through the generous in-kind donations of diabetes supplies from the general public.  The supplies are then distributed for free to individuals in need in strict accordance with federal and individual state’s pharmacy board regulations.  iPump has special programs for children and is the only organization that offers “full-service” assistance include help with diabetes supplies, insulin pump supplies, insulin, and insulin pumps.

Contact:  Email Lahle Wolfe if you would like more information about iPump.org, Inc. or any of its programs, or have questions about making donations.

iPump.org, Inc. Responds to Diabetics Affected by Southern California Wild Fires
iPump.org, Inc. Press Release:  October 22, 2007             .pdf Press Release

For Immediate Release

For the past year, iPump.org, Inc. has provided assistance to many (diabetic) victims of Hurricane Katrina. Now, they move quickly to help diabetics in their own state during a time of crisis. A new program called Cal-DSERT (California Diabetes State of Emergency Relief Trust) will benefit families who have diabetes and lost their home, business, or job due to the 2007 California wild fires. October 22, 2007.

iPump.org, Inc., an all-volunteer run nonprofit public charity, has been assisting diabetic patients in need since 2006.  Its founder, and volunteer CEO, Lahle Wolfe has diabetes as do two of her children.  She understands that diabetes is a disorder that requires constant medical attention in order to live. According to Wolfe, ”To even go one day without test strips, syringes, or insulin, could cost a type 1 diabetic their life.”

iPump is based on Southern California where the fires began. As Wolfe and her children watched distant smoke plumes from their own backyard, ashes rained down like snowflakes on her youngest daughter, Elizabeth, age 8 who has type 1 diabetes. Wolfe recounts, “She turned and asked if people had time to get their pets and diabetes “stuff” and all I could reply was that I hoped so.”

Wolfe immediately began hashing out guidelines for yet another unique program called the California Diabetes State of Emergency Relief Trust (Cal-DSERT) and by the end of the work day a new assistance program was in place. Cal-DSERT is different from other iPump programs because it will only serve victims of the California fires of 2007.  Wolfe believes that those who have lost their home, business, or job in the fires will need more time and assistance to get them back on solid ground. “We hope donors will give generously to this program so that can provide longer term assistance than our other programs can.  We are still helping diabetic victims of Hurricane Katrina, who, after all this time still have limited resources available for assistance.”

For qualifying diabetics who have lost their home, business, or job because of the fires iPump may be able to send financial assistance as well as purchase insulin, medications, and diabetes supplies directly for those in need if we do not have a supply on-hand to give away for free.  To make this program work,iPump is requesting both financial donations as well as donations of unexpired diabetes supplies.

To make a donation, visit their website at www.ipump.org or send supply donations and checks made payable to iPump.org, to:  IPump.org, Inc, 2250 Alyssum Avenue, Upland, CA 91784.  Be sure to earmark your donation for “Cal-DSERT” or “Fire Fund.”  If you include your contact information iPump will send you a tax receipt.

Email Lahle Wolfe if you would like more information about iPump.org, Inc. or any of its programs, or have questions about making donations.

Donors Need a Little Help, Too
iPump.org, Inc. Press Release:  August 16, 2007             .pdf Press Release

Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of iPump a new network has been created that lets donors easily find places where they can donate specific diabetes supplies and that offers much-needed, free advertising to nonprofits.

iPump.org, Inc. (iPump), an all-volunteer run organization, has been assisting diabetic patients in need since 2006.  Last month, they found yet another way to help patients who struggle with the high cost of diabetes care by encouraging donations of diabetes supplies on a nation-wide scale.  In the past iPump focused exclusively on helping diabetics in need.  Now they are also helping donors.

When Lahle Wolfe, founder of iPump.org, Inc. did a “Google” search on “donate diabetes supplies” she was appalled with the query response. “A ton of spam and unrelated sites came up and at the top of a list was a for-profit website that offered to serve as an information exchange service for those who wanted to donate supplies and those who needed them,” said Wolfe. “This business owner has good intentions but does not screen donors or those asking for help to ascertain if they are legitimate – there are no safeguards to protect anyone.”  In fact, Wolfe states that one of the individuals listed on the site as “in need” had previously attempted to defraud iPump out of financial assistance and free diabetes supplies.”

Wolfe contacted the site’s owner several times asking if iPump could help get supplies to some of those in need listed on the site.  To date she has yet to be connected with a single person listed as “in need of.”  Despite it being illegal for non-licensed individuals to disburse prescription items (including syringes and insulin pump supplies) the site’s owner (who makes no claim of being a nonprofit or assistance organization) continues to offer to connect donors with those in need.

There are thousands of clinics and organizations that take donated supplies and responsibly distribute them to those in need but they were not coming up in simple searches. Wolfe worried that donors might not follow through on making donations if they could not quickly and easily find somewhere to send them. This gave her an idea.

Wolfe actively began pursuing other nonprofit medical assistance organizations and clinics that help diabetic patients. She found that none had advertised for donations of supplies because funding was needed to help patients.   Often, clinics simply have to rely on word-of-mouth referrals for in-kind medical donations.  Wolfe then created a list of organizations that take diabetes supply donations. “Every page on the iPump website now has a button for other places to donate to.”  Using her self-taught, SEO-savvy skills, organizations listed on iPump, once invisible to donors, now often appear as the top response when individual states are searched for “donate diabetes supplies.”

According to Wolfe, “iPump.org, Inc.’s mission is to help diabetic patients in need. We may lose out on some donations to our own organization by offering donors other options but creating this list is an indirect way of helping people on a much larger scale than we could accomplish alone. By making it easier for interested donors to find reputable places to donate their supplies to more people will follow through with donations. When more people donate, more people can be helped.”

Thanks to the hard work and ingenuity of iPump a new network has been created that lets donors easily find places where they can donate specific diabetes supplies and that offers much-needed, free advertising to nonprofits.  Wolfe’s belief is that, “We should make giving as easy and rewarding as possible for all concerned.  By recognizing and meeting the needs of donors — people who willingly sacrifice to meet our own needs — everyone benefits.”