I was diagnosed having diabetes back in 1988 through a routine check up. Having none of the symptoms, I was quite surprised. The prescription back then was to loose weight and to take lessons from a nurse and a dietitian at the hospital. In the classes, I learned about how to control the disease with diet, exercise and medicine. In spite of my efforts, my diabetes control was still erratic and mostly on the bad side of the target line. Experiencing the difficulties first hand, I wanted to learn more about the disease and to help others to learn as well. When the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) opened its branch in Nanaimo, I began to attend events and started to volunteer with them. Most of my volunteering involved selling raffle tickets in malls around the city. Since I moved to Richmond in 2005, I joined the CDA as a volunteer in their Chinese Info Line program. It’s a phone-in program for Chinese speaking people all over North America wanting to know about diabetes. We provide them with verbal and written information in Chinese about diabetes. We also listen carefully about how their diabetes is affecting their lives and refer them to different agencies for additional assistance. I also participated in other CDA activities, such as data entry, health fair display, presentation in the community, Diabetes Expos, etc. With knowledge gained from and participation with the CDA, I was able to maintain my control over a 21-year span. I am sure other people can as well. The CDA is an excellent place to find such knowledge.