Essential workers, from left to right, Chris Lague RN, Cheryl Hamel RN, Rosemary Cerqueira RN, John Beaton RN, will use these tablets, gifts from the Milford, Medway, Mendon and Holliston Lions Clubs, to help patients communicate with loved ones.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so muchThese simple words spoken by Helen Keller exemplify Lions across Massachusetts. This saying was evident just recently when four Lions Clubs from across two Districts and their District Governors got together to make a difference at Milford Regional Medical Center (MRMC). We addressed a need which no single club could have handled on their own.

 These Lions, representing Holliston, Medway, Mendon and Milford, met virtually to come up with a solution to help Milford Regional Medical Center patients stay in touch with loved ones. Top left to right: Keith Gattozzi - Milford Lions, Doreen Martel - Holliston Lions. Linda Reynolds - Medway Lions, Bottom left to right: Mark Bucchino - Mendon Lions, Colleen Oncay - District Governor 33A, Dawn Rice-Norton - District Governor 33K

Combining Efforts Results in Success

In late April, several Lions Clubs in the Metrowest area were contacted by an RN at MRMC. There was a need for the facility to provide opportunities for those who were hospitalized during this challenging time for everyone. Patients have been unable to see their loved ones due to the current restrictions placed on visitors and the facility had a shortage of tablets to aid in facilitating communication.

Rather than wait for individual clubs to fund units on their own, four club Presidents from the Milford, Mendon, Medway, and Holliston Lions Clubs banded together and conducted a conference call to see what they could do. Thanks to their efforts, and the additional donations of the District Governors from their respective Districts, the clubs were able to fund the purchase of eight Samsung tablets.

Setup and Delivery

Lion Steve Apesos, from the Holliston Lions Club, picked up the tablets over the course of a few days at Best Buy in Milford. The store was extremely helpful in providing us with creative ways to overcome the “two tablet maximum” restrictions in their ordering system. Thanks to Lion Steve, we were able to set each tablet up so that users could easily access Zoom and Facebook Messenger to communicate with their loved ones and family members. Steve also designed a great welcoming screen.

Delivery and Use of Tablets

The real heroes of this story are the dedicated healthcare workers who helped make this possible and will be using these tablets to assist patients keep in contact with their loved ones.

The Lions of Districts 33K and District 33A, as well as the Lions of Massachusetts wish to extend their thanks to the staff members at Milford Regional Medical Center: Thank you for allowing us to continue to fulfill our mission “We Serve” during these difficult times and thank you for your unselfish service to your patients.