The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre Celebrates Its AccomplishmentsThanks to a $20,000 Ontario Government Grant

(Whitby, ON) – On Thursday, local MPP Lorne Coe stopped by the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre
(Best Centre) and formally congratulated the team there on the work that’s been done as a result of
receiving a $20,000 Resilient Community Fund grant from the provincial government’s Ontario Trillium
Foundation (OTF). The grant, awarded last spring, has enabled the Best Centre to complete an audit of
its development office and fundraising events.

“The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre is at the forefront of meeting the needs of our local children, youth
and adults living with type 1 diabetes,” said Lorne Coe, MPP for Whitby and Parliamentary Assistant to
the Premier. “Our government proudly supports the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre’s innovative work
which ensures residents living with type 1 diabetes in Whitby and other parts of the Region of Durham
have the lifelong care they need, when and where they need it. Since 2018, non-profit organizations in
Whitby have received approximately $3.9 million from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.”

As a registered charity, the Best Centre must fundraise 25 per cent of its operating costs and 100 per
cent of its capital costs. As the demand for services increases, so does the need to grow and fundraise.
Thanks to this OTF grant, the Best Centre is better equipped to close this gap and raise the funds
needed to continue to offer state-of-the-art care and education to the community of type 1 diabetes.
“Like many charities in Canada, the work to raise funds for building expansion has changed with new
pressures and increased costs,” explains Lorrie Hagen, Executive Director at The Charles H. Best
Diabetes Centre. “As we navigate the post-pandemic state of affairs, the support of our community is
even more important.”

The Best Centre’s mission is to keep children, youth and adults living with type 1 diabetes healthy until a
cure is found. Healthcare educators provide an all-encompassing and lifelong approach to support and
empower patients and families to self-manage.
“We are committed to addressing the needs of our members,” said Serge Babin, Chairman of the Board
of Directors. “OTF’s funding will allow us to plan for a future in continuing to provide services that are
accessible to all patients and families.”

The Best Centre delivers one-of-a-kind patient-centred healthcare exclusive to type 1 diabetes. As
Canada’s only stand-alone centre and charitable organization specializing in type 1 diabetes, the staff
provides highly responsive and individualized care. The interdisciplinary care team includes registered
nurses, dietitians and social workers who provide frontline healthcare and education throughout patients’
lifetime.

“Non-profit organizations across Ontario deliver programming that makes a difference,” said Neil
Lumsden, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. “That’s why funding that my ministry is providing
through the OTF is so important. Our government wants to ensure that these programs and spaces
remain the heart of communities across our province.”

Quick facts:

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Ontario government with a mission to build
healthy and vibrant communities across the province. Last year, OTF invested more than $110M into
1,044 community projects and multi-sector partnerships. Projects aim to enhance economic well-being,
foster more active lifestyles, support child and youth development, provide spaces for people to come
together and connect, and create a more sustainable environment. Visit otf.ca to learn more.
Quick Facts
• Type 1 diabetes is an incurable, complex disease. It must be managed 24-hour a day, seven days a
week, 365 days a year. Without insulin, death is certain.
• Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Insulin is an
essential hormone that is required to control the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood.
• The Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre sees roughly 2,000 patients and conducts more than 28,000
healthcare interactions per year to support patients living with type 1 diabetes.
• Roughly 5-10 per cent of people living with diabetes have type 1 diabetes, insulin-dependent
diabetes. Type 1 diabetes generally develops in childhood or adolescence but is also diagnosed in
adulthood. People with type 1 need to inject insulin or use an insulin pump to ensure their bodies
have the right amount of insulin to survive.