The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), at the national level and several local chapters at the state level have been leading initiatives to bring warmth and cheer into the lives of the less fortunate in the United States for a number of years.
Started in 2019, AAPI has donated thousands of blankets to the needy and the destitute at numerous homeless shelters across the country as part of their "Share the Warmth" programme.
“As the cold weather is upon us, we at AAPI want to continue the tradition of providing comfort and warmth to those who need help during this season,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, president, AAPI. “Therefore, we are renewing the tradition under the `Share the Warmth AAPI 2022 Blanket Drive` and request your support to make this initiative an impactful success."
“We at AAPI are extremely grateful for the opportunities we have been blessed with to serve the communities we live in and work ,” said Dr. V. Ranga, Chair of AAPI BOT. “ As a token of our appreciation and gratitude, we believe we need to give back and serve the less fortunate in our society in times of need. Please contribute generously and every US $15 you donate can provide a blanket to a person in need.”
While thanking the many AAPI chapters for holding the blanket drives across the country, Dr. Kolli said, "Knowing how this initiative assists many in need in the community gives us the desire to organise many such events and give back to the local community. We really believe that we can accomplish much more with the help and involvement of all AAPI physicians".
In order to provide warmth to the less fortunate, AAPI launched the "Share-A-Blanket" project during the holiday season of 2019 under the presidency of Dr. Suresh Reddy. That year, it was successfully organized by Dr. Binod Sinha, the founding president of NJ AAPI in New Jersey, and ever since, it has been held annually by AAPI and the local patron chapters of AAPI.
Founded in 1982, AAPI represents over 120,000 doctors of Indian origin and is the largest ethnic medical group in the country. Along with a number of programmes in India, AAPI has been fighting for the rights of the medical community. It also regularly hosts CME programmes, health and wellness events and financial workshops for its members. It also engages in outreach, public health education and advocacy work for the community both locally and globally.
