Ajay Ghosh
Media Coordinator, AAPI
(Chicago, IL: January 10, 2025) “Continuing the tradition of providing
comfort and warmth to the needy and the homeless in the United States
during this winter season, with the overwhelming support from dozens
of Chapters, we at the American Association of Physicians of Indian
Origin (AAPI) are relaunching the Share-the-Warmth program that will
benefit thousands of people across the nation through the generosity
of AAPI members, ” Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of AAPI said.
For several years, AAPI at the national level and various local
Chapters at the state levels have been jointly leading efforts to
bring warmth and comfort into the lives of the needy across the United
States. Launched in 2019, this noble initiative has now become an
annual tradition of giving by AAPI to local communities. AAPI’s
“Share-The-Warmth” project has donated thousands of blankets to the
poor and the needy in several homeless shelters across the nation
every year.
“We are immensely happy to state that our AAPI’s ‘SHARE THE WARMTH’
program has been highly successful this year,” said Dr. Raghu
Lolabhattu, Chair, Share-The-Warmth program. “Holiday season is here
again! Time to care and share again!! Last few years AAPI along with
several local chapters and some of our members made tremendous effort
and helped numerous needy people by DONATING A BLANKET and proud to
say that this was very well received by the targeted communities.”
Dr. Malti Mehta, Co-Chair of the Share-the-Warmth program said, “AAPI
launched the Share-A-Blanket project in 2019 during the presidency of
Dr. Suresh Reddy to bring warmth to the needy around the nation. Dr.
Binod Sinha, founder President of AAPI Chapter in New Jersey organized
and conducted it successfully that year, and since then it has been
held annually by AAPI and local Chapters of AAPI.”
Praising the concerted efforts of several other AAPI Chapters, Dr.
Lolabhattu said, “I am happy to share those thousands of homeless and
other needy citizens benefited from this program in the past. Hence
this year, AAPI as an organization under the leadership of our
President Dr. Satheesh Kathula wants to continue this ongoing and much
needed tradition.”
“We at AAPI are extremely grateful for the opportunities we have been
blessed with to serve the communities we live in and work in,” said
Dr. Sunil Kaza, Chair of APPI BOT. “As a token of our appreciation and
gratitude, we believe we are happy to be able to give back and serve
the less fortunate in our society in times of their need.”
“This has been a one-of-a-kind experience for the teams of physicians
and young volunteers alike who have generously volunteered their time
and resources to bring joy to the less fortunate. I want to thank all
the State Chapter leaders for their commitment and their enthusiastic
participation,” said Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, President-Elect of AAPI.
“Realizing how this initiative benefits several needy in the
community, gives us the motivation to organize many such events and
give back to the local community. We are very happy to say that the
purpose of the program has been accomplished by AAPI working with so
many state Chapters and hope more things will happen in the future,”
Dr. Meher Medavaran, Vice President of AAPI said.
Dr. Raj Bhayani, Secretary of AAPI urged “all AAPI members to make
this program a grand success and make AAPI and our local organizations
proud. We request that every one of you make a generous donation for
this fund and your contribution would surely give a great comfort to a
needed person.”
Dr. Bhayani expressed his appreciation and gratitude to “Mr. Steven M.
Fulop, the Mayor of Jersey City in the state of New Jersey, who will
join in with the New Jersey Chapter of AAPI in our annual Blanket
Donation Drive this year.”
“After experiencing the generosity of AAPI members, we strongly feel
that we can accomplish much more with support and participation from
all our AAPI physicians led by the local Chapters,” said Dr. Shirish
Patel, Treasurer of AAPI.
Dr. Kathula, while expressing gratitude and appreciation to the AAPI
Chapters for organizing the Drives around the nation, said, “Knowing
that such measures benefit several needy in the community gives us the
motivation to organize more such events and give back to the local
communities where we live and serve. We strongly feel that we can make
more such accomplishments with support and participation from all our
generous AAPI physicians.”
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), founded in
1982 is the largest ethnic medical organization in the United States,
representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians of Indian
origin. In addition to several programs in India, AAPI has been in the
forefront, advocating for the interests of the medical fraternity and
organizing regular CME programs, health & wellness events, and
financial workshops for its members and outreach, public health
education, and advocacy activities for the community both locally and
internationally. For more details and to join the Share-A-Blanket
Drive in your state/community, please visit: www.aapiusa.org
