The Ray II

Ray moved to New York City as a teenager from South Carolina. She loves playing bingo and cards and watching TV. Ray has one daughter and one grandson who live near her in Brooklyn. When Ray was around 30 years old she lost her eyesight - she said it was a very scary time. That’s when she discovered she had diabetes. Her vision came back after a month, but when she returned home she had to learn to follow a strict diet and take medication. Eight years ago, Ray joined JASA’s Chronic Disease Management program. She participated in trainings about how to manage chronic diseases like diabetes and arthritis and how to be a community leader. Ray says these workshops helped her learn how to manage her diabetes better. Since then Ray has been helping her fellow seniors with chronic diseases in many ways. She leads health workshops, and has educated more than 150 of her peers. Ray runs blood pressure monitoring programs and walking programs. She visits other seniors in their homes to make meal