Two ladies raise money to buy iPads for nursing homes

It has become difficult for senior residents to stay connected to their families due to most nursing homes are no longer allowing visitors because of the COVID-19 virus. That’s why these two ladies raise money to buy iPads for nursing homes so that residents will be able to face time with their families.

Their names are Jill Ashworth Valadao and Sarah Otis Firth. And they are two close friends. They launched this program and called it “Face TIme for Nana”.

Jill Ashworth Valadao and Sarah Otis Firth

Firth is living in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She said that while she was browsing her newsfeed on Facebook she saw a photo and it made her cry. The photo is about an adult daughter was standing outside the window of her mother’s room of a nursing home. And she is holding a whiteboard as it is the only way that she can communicate with her mother.

Firth told The Standard-Times that, ” I thought these poor people in the nursing homes, they are so scared and isolated. I wish I could get a bunch of iPads to give to them,”

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She reached to her friend, Jill Valadao. She asked that if Jill was interested in launching a fundraiser together to buy iPads to give nursing homes. So that the residents in those nursing homes can Facetime and chat with their loved ones.

Valadao said that she loved to help this charity work. And then they created a Facebook fundraiser page called “FaceTime for Nana” on March 17. Their goal is to collect $300 to buy just one iPad. But as of Saturday morning, They manage to raise nearly $5,000.

FaceTime for Nana!

Valado Wrote on Facebook, “We are waking up this morning full of so much gratitude,” “our original goal when we started this on Tuesday was to raise enough money ($300) for one iPad. 16 iPads later and we are only $465 away from our new goal of $5,000!!!”.

They carefully delivered the first three iPads to Autumn Glen’s memory unity in Dartmouth and Alden Court Nursing Care and Royal of Fairhaven Nursing Center in Fairhaven, Massachusetts on Friday morning.

Later that day Firth got a message from Alden Court Activity director Sharon Jensen. The message was about thanking them on behalf of the residents and staff for the new iPad.

The message is,

“During such a difficult time, these sweet gestures literally make the residents days. Yesterday more than 75 face time calls were made to families at Alden. This process has kept out families connected and reassured that their loved one is safe and content. The residents get a kick out of the technology and share a few laughs/smiles when they see their loved one on the iPad.

Our goal is to find positive things to keep the resident spirits up and this is one of the many good things happening. Today, the residents and the staff will be receiving performances from local young performers donating their time and their talents to present mini-concerts for the residents’ VIA FACE TIME. The iPad gift was a blessing today. SO thank you, Sarah, for thinking of Alden Court,”

Jill said that she loves to positive comes out in a negative situation. “I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Our society needed to slow down and be reminded of what matters. So when you’re feeling angry with the situation stop and look for the good that is coming out of all of this. There’s a lot of good.”

Share this positivity through your friends and family on social media.

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