BOSTON (WHDH) - A nonprofit organization that supports veterans and their families across Massachusetts announced Monday that 375 iPads are being donated to veterans at soldiers’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea.
The donation is part of Brighton Marine’s “Operation Connecting Veterans Home,” an initiative to connect isolated veterans with loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic when visitors to facilities like soldiers’ homes are prohibited.
Representatives of Brighton Marine will deliver iPads to the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home on Wednesday afternoon. The Chelsea Soldiers’ Home will also receive a delivery this week.
“After reading about and hearing the stories of veterans being isolated from family and friends and some tragically dying alone under quarantine, I thought there had to be some way we could connect them with loved ones,” said Tom Lyons, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home and member of the Brighton Marine Board of Directors. “By providing these iPads, veterans can now stay in contact remotely with those who care and worry about them. Our veterans deserve the best that we can provide for them, and this effort by Brighton Marine will make a very tough situation a little easier for them and for their families.”
The iPads will enable veterans to talk with friends, counselors, and to conduct telehealth sessions, according to Brighton Marine.
“As part of our mission at Brighton Marine, we connect veterans to a variety of resources to meet their needs. We saw a very real need for veterans in isolation to be able to connect with loved ones during this pandemic, and are taking action to help solve that problem,” said Michael Dwyer, President at Brighton Marine. “The social distancing resulting from COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of staying connected. Our goal is to re-establish a connection between our veterans and their loved ones.”
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