RN and Diabetes Educator Georgiana Bradshaw has led the diabetes program for 17 years. ‘We cover everything a person needs to know to control their diabetes.’
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coastal Bend Food Bank is bringing back its free diabetes education program, with a new eight-week cycle of classes beginning in January 2026. Staff say the goal is to help community members learn diabetes prevention, nutrition skills and healthier habits.
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The program, recognized by the American Diabetes Association, gives participants access to education from a registered nurse specializing in diabetes care.
Alongside the program, the food bank also offers cooking and nutritional classes. Nutrition Educator Tracy Atkinson said her passion for this work started with her mother’s cancer diagnosis.
“I just started learning about what she was going through and what foods could help her during her process of healing,” Atkinson said. “It’s medicine for us at the end of the day.”
Nutrition Educator Alejandra Dodge, who works alongside Atkinson, said their goal is to make healthy eating more accessible and enjoyable.
“Just spending time with your family — cooking together,” Dodge said.
She added that access to inexpensive, nutritious foods supports both physical and mental health.
“It’s really empowering,” Dodge said. “It helps kids be better in school, and it helps mothers be better at their jobs.”
Registered Nurse and Diabetes Educator Georgiana Bradshaw has led the diabetes program for 17 years. She said her passion for the field stems from a family history of diabetes.
“Aunts that lost their leg, or cousins losing their eyesight,” Bradshaw said. “And so when I learned that good glucose control makes a difference, it got me interested in diabetes education.”
Bradshaw said the structure of the eight-week program helps participants leave with confidence.
“That’s how they leave the class: ‘I can do this, you know, I can take care of my diabetes,’” Bradshaw said. “We cover everything a person needs to know in order to control their diabetes.”
Atkinson said improving eating habits one meal at a time can change lives across the Coastal Bend.
“We have a high rate of diabetes, high rate of heart disease, and that plays a pivotal role,” she said. “They can be taught a different way, it’s going to aid them in their life.”
The food bank is also preparing for its 38th annual Share Your Christmas Food Drive on Dec. 10. Donations will help support programs like these and families in need across 11 counties in the Coastal Bend.