JDRF enjoys a reputation as one of the most effective advocacy
organizations in Washington, D.C. That reputation is a direct result of
the personal relationships our advocates have developed with their
Members of Congress and staff—both in Washington and back in state and
local district offices.

Established in 2000, JDRF’s Promise to
Remember Me Campaign is all about building these relationships. Each
campaign has been more successful than the last. During the 2013
campaign, we encourage people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their
families to visit their lawmakers while they are at home.

It is vitally important for our Members of
Congress—of both political parties, and in both the House of
Representatives as well as the Senate—to hear firsthand about the burden
of living with T1D. Your own personal story will help you form a
lasting bond with each legislator you meet—and can then motivate those
legislators to action.

This year’s meetings will focus on renewing the Special Diabetes Program. Congress created the Special Diabetes Program (SDP) in 1997 as a way to address the limitations of diabetes research. The SDP advances T1D research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and is currently funding $150 million per year through September 2014. Renewal of the SDP is JDRF’s top federal legislative priority this year. This critical
program provides nearly 35% of the publicly-funded type 1 diabetes
research at NIH. Without a timely multi-year renewal of the program,
clinical trials will slow down or halt altogether and JDRF will not be able to fill
the gap. We cannot let this happen and we must help renew the SDP.

Please “promise” to tell your story to your Member of Congress by signing up to attend or schedule a Promise meeting today.

JDRF volunteers and staff are here to help
you set up meetings with your lawmakers, so that your story can make a
difference in support and funding for programs that advance critical T1D
research. Through the 2011 Promise Campaign, an amazing 458 meetings
took place! This year, we want to touch them all, by completing 536
meetings—that’s one JDRF Promise meeting for every single Member of
Congress!

This is your opportunity to tell your Members
of Congress: Promise to Remember Me! Together, we can achieve JDRF’s
vision of a world without T1D. Please sign up today at http://promise.jdrf.org.

Have you participated in a Promise to Remember Me meeting in the past? Have any tips or advice for first-time participants? If so, please let us know in the comments section below!