November Sparks Giving, Health, Writing +

November Sparks shine on Giving, Health, Writing and more. We give thanks this month on Thanksgiving Day and Giving Tuesday, but November is also host to many more Socially Sparked® wonderful awareness observances in the health, arts and social arenas.

Health observances include National Diabetes Awareness Month and No-Shave November. Social issue initiatives include Adaption Awareness Month and Native American Heritage Month. And, in the Arts arena, November sparks a spotlight on National Novel Writing Month. Show your love; support your cause and be an Agent of Change!

NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH is observed every November so individuals, health care professionals, organizations, and communities across the country can bring attention to diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans. In partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) NIH external link, this year’s focus is on the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The National Diabetes Education Program’s theme is: Take Diabetes to Heart: Linking Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. This theme helps to raise awareness that having diabetes means you are more likely to develop heart disease. The theme also serves as a reminder to people who may be struggling with the demands of managing diabetes that they are not alone. The campaign offers steps to take to help prevent and manage the risks.

More than 30 million people in the United States have diabetes, but 1 out of 4 of them don’t know they have it (23%). Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness, amputation, heart disease, kidney failure and early death. While the condition is serious there is much that can be done to reduce its impact.

– There are three main types of diabetes: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant, which can put the pregnancy and baby at risk and lead to type 2 diabetes later).

– The majority of Type 2 Diabetes is preventable and complications can be avoided with good management and care.

WORLD DIABETES DAY – November 14th. World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated annually on November 14 and is the largest world diabetes campaign reaching a global audience of one billion people over 160 countries. Led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by IDF and the World Health Organization (WHO) in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat posed by diabetes. World Diabetes Day became an official United Nations Day in 2006.

The theme for WDD 2019 is Family and Diabetes.  Diabetes concerns every family. There are currently over 455 million people worldwide with Diabetes. The 2019 campaign is raising awareness of the impact that diabetes has on the family and support network of those affected and promoting the role of the family in the management, care, prevention and education of diabetes.

Wear Blue on November 14th in support of the global observance. The blue circle is the global symbol for diabetes awareness and the logo for World Diabetes Day. Great excuse to wear denim to work.

NO-SHAVE NOVEMBER This web-based nonprofit organization hosts a month-long campaign every November, where participants skip shaving and grooming for the entire month in order to stimulate conversation and raise cancer awareness and funds for prevention, research and education.

The goal of No-Shave November is to grow awareness by embracing your hair — which many cancer patients lose — and letting it grow wild and free. The money usually spent on grooming can then be donated to the cause.

If you don’t want to be hairy for the month, you can still show your love for this worthy cause by supporting a friend who is partaking.

THE RULES: simply put down your razor for 30 days and donate your monthly hair-maintenance expenses to the cause. Strict dress-code at work? Don’t worry about it! They encourage participation of any kind; grooming and trimming are perfectly acceptable.

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NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH (NaNoWriMo) One of our favorite observances. This nonprofit sparks the creative writing gene in us all — empowering and encouraging vibrant creativity around the world. Since 1999 NaNoWriMo provides the structure, community, and encouragement to help people find their voices, achieve creative goals, and build new worlds—on and off the page.

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30. Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel and so much more.

NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Also referred to as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. The month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month also aims to educate the general public about tribes, to raise awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is the oldest, largest, and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization serving the broad interests of tribal governments and communities.

GIVING TUESDAY. December 3rd. This awareness initiative is celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Since its inaugural year in 2012, #GivingTuesday has become a global movement that celebrates and supports giving and philanthropy with events throughout the year and a growing catalog of resources.

November is a very giving time of the year. We have lots to give thanks for and what better time than during the annual Thanksgiving holiday. So many causes, observances and creative challenges this month. — We are forever Socially Sparked Tweet @sosparkednews