In the News

Care Dimensions Receives $44,950 Rotary Grant for Personal Protective Equipment

  Local Rotary clubs and Rotary International (RI) collaborated to deliver a $44,950 grant to nonprofit Care Dimensions, the largest hospice and palliative care provider in Massachusetts, to be used for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for their frontline workers.

“Care Dimensions is grateful for Rotary’s support of our work providing hospice and palliative care in more than 100 communities by funding critical personal protective equipment for our staff who are on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Patricia Ahern, Care Dimensions president and CEO. “We know it was a massive team effort and we thank Rotary District 7930, individual Rotary clubs in the Greater Boston area and international clubs. Rotary makes an extraordinary impact on our communities and throughout the world, and we are honored they have chosen to assist our care teams on the North Shore and in Greater Boston.”

This Rotary Foundation COVID-19 Global Grant is the first of its kind for local Rotary clubs. For the first time in history, The Rotary Foundation provided a grant to Rotary District 7930, representing 47 clubs in northeastern Massachusetts.

“Rotary focused their project on providing PPE to the medical staffs located throughout District 7930, to protect them from contracting COVID-19 and, in turn, protect their patients,” said District 7930 Governor Betsy Manzelli. “Our Rotary District is excited to be collaborating with and supporting Care Dimensions during this pandemic.”

Historic Rotary Foundation International Grant Awarded Locally
In addition to funding from The Rotary Foundation and District 7930, generous contributions from Rotary District 2650 (Japan) and the Rotary Club of Kyoto South made this grant possible. Leadership in Kyoto, Japan, were eager to assist Boston, their sister city, with this humanitarian project. Rotary clubs in Boston, Burlington, Burlington Breakfast, Gloucester, Lexington, Marblehead, Topsfield, Boxford and Middleton also supported this project.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our region hard, I saw the opportunity to address the needs of healthcare providers firsthand,” said Joan Arsenault, District Governor for 2019 – 2020 and a professional healthcare provider. “I also realized that The Rotary Foundation was an incredible resource and could help us address the shortage of PPE and food insecurity.”

“For the first time in our district’s history, a Rotary Foundation grant is happening locally,” said Julia Phelps, past trustee of The Rotary Foundation and RI director. “That’s the beauty of Rotary: people helping people they’ve never met but knowing they are making a difference and saving lives.”

In photo: Celebrating grants from Rotary International and local clubs, left to right, are Julia Phelps, Past Trustee for Rotary Internal Foundation and Amesbury club member; Mark Grenier, Gloucester Rotary member; Becky Kilborn, Danvers Rotary co-President; Bill Reynolds, Greater Salem (NH) Rotary member; Pooja Singla, member and Past President of Burlington Breakfast Rotary; Donna Deveau, Care Dimensions Vice President of Philanthropy; and Joan Arsenault, Immediate Past District Governor and Ipswich Rotary member.

About Care Dimensions
Care Dimensions is the largest hospice and palliative care provider to adults and children in Massachusetts. As a nonprofit, community-based leader in advanced illness care, Care Dimensions provides comprehensive hospice, palliative care, grief support 100 communities in Massachusetts. Founded in 1978 as Hospice of the North Shore, Care Dimensions cares for patients wherever they live – in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities and assisted living communities, in hospitals, or at our two inpatient hospice facilities, the Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln and the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers. Additionally, Care Dimensions HomeMD program provides in-home primary care to patients over age 65 in select communities on the North Shore and Greater Boston who have difficulty leaving home. The Care Dimensions Learning Institute educates more than 7,000 health care professionals and community members each year on advanced illness and end-of-life topics. Please visit www.CareDimensions.org to learn more about Care Dimensions.

About Rotary International
Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto, “Service Above Self.”

About Rotary District 7930
Rotary District 7930 includes 47 Rotary clubs located in Northeastern Massachusetts plus Salem, NH.

About Rotary Foundation
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace. Rotary Foundation grants promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water and sanitation, sustain mothers and children, improve education, and strengthen local economies. 
The Rotary Foundation has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator since 2009 and has been named one of the Top 10 Charities in the world by CNBC, ranking number three on the list. The Rotary Foundation is also on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's list of top 100 charities in the world.