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Silver linings of 2020: Holiday impact highlights from the field


In a year of unprecedented challenges, the MEDLIFE Movement worked hard to spread kindness and cheer. Thanks to your generosity during the giving season, the holidays were a little brighter this year.
To welcome you back from the break, let’s recap eight holiday impact highlights from our celebrations with our partner communities across the globe. 

1. Holiday baskets in Lima

Although the pandemic has put our Mobile Clinics on hold for now, we’ve continued to strengthen connections and build bonds with follow-up patients in our partner communities. To celebrate the holidays, the MEDLIFE team in Lima delivered gift baskets as a special surprise for our follow-up patients.

2. Gifts & hot chocolate in the Andes

To celebrate the holiday season in Cusco, our local team traveled to the remote community of Huacapunku in the beautiful Andes mountains. Thanks to your support, we were able to deliver gifts to 150 children and share hot chocolate with 250 community members! 

Holiday Impact Highlights - Tanzania

3. Supporting children facing homelessness in Tanzania

The MEDLIFE team in Tanzania welcomed the new year with a delivery of food and essential hygiene items to over 100 children in local homeless shelters. Although the majority of our COVID-19 relief efforts have been focused on countries like Peru that have been especially hard-hit by the pandemic, we’re still working to make a difference across all of our sites!

4. Partnering with corporates in Lima

In December, our team in Lima joined forces with Roky’s Peru, a popular local restaurant famous for its Pollo a la Brasa or rotisserie chicken. With their help, we were able to deliver 500 holiday meals to families affected by the pandemic! Thank you Roky’s! 

Holiday Impact Highlights -Ecuador

5. Holiday traditions in Ecuador  

Enjoying panettone – a sweet bread with candied fruits – is a holiday tradition in Latin America. A Navidad celebration without this tasty treat just wouldn’t be the same! Because of your fundraising efforts, our team in Ecuador was able to spread kindness this December by delivering 300 panettones to the communities of Calpi Loma, Pulingui, and Shamanga. 

6. Meals & treats in Lima

One of our biggest achievements in 2020 was developing a network of Community Soup Kitchens by working hand in hand with leaders from low-income neighborhoods. We began this initiative in Peru and its success allowed us to expand into Ecuador! Over the holiday season, we distributed over 400 panettones through our Community Soup Kitchens in Lima to help spread joy and cheer!

7. Supporting families in Cusco

In the tourist hotspot of Cusco, COVID-19 has created major difficulties for families that once relied on the travel industry. To help them bounce back in 2021, we partnered with the Intrepid Foundation to deliver nutritional relief to 356 households who’ve faced income loss and food insecurity due to the pandemic. Thank you to the Intrepid Foundation for making this initiative possible!

Do you know any businesses or corporations that might be interested in sponsoring a food delivery? Use our letter template to reach out to them and help us build connections! 

Holiday Impact Highlights -Peru

8. Half a million meals served

With just a few days of 2020 remaining, we reached our goal of serving half a million meals! Across borders, languages, and cultures, food brings us together. And this year, food has united MEDLIFErs across the globe as we’ve brought hunger relief to families facing food insecurity. 

To everyone who fundraised, donated, and shared the campaign, we are deeply grateful for your support. Thank you so much for making this huge milestone possible! We can’t wait to continue fighting for a world free from the constraints of poverty with you all in 2021.

Thanks for joining us for this recap of our holiday impact highlights from 2020. Remember, the holiday season may be over but human kindness and generosity bring hope all year round! Donate now to support our work in 2021 and help us reach 1 million meals!

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Hear it From MEDLIFErs

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Reya Seby
Western University

This trip motivated me more to pursue a career in the healthcare field so that I can use my resources to help those who need it the most, similar to MEDLIFE’s mission.

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Victoria DiCanio
University of Connecticut

It was most enjoyable to finish the hard work and see how big a difference a group of individuals can make. It was such an amazing experience.

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Anita Woo
University of Toronto

I enjoyed the mobile clinics the most, especially the dental and triage portions. I would definitely recommend a MEDLIFE trip, it was a great experience.

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David Saff
Maclay High School

The most enjoyable part of my trip was hanging out with the amazing group of kids I was with. I would highly recommend a MEDLIFE volunteer trip to others.

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Sydney Sansone
Nova Southeastern University

This trip made everything that I was learning in my public health courses come to life and immersed me in a new culture while also learning about medicine.

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Abygail Youmans
College of Charleston

Being involved with MEDLIFE is not like joining another club - its bigger than that. It is about joining a movement that seeks to help change people’s quality of life for forever.

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Emi Hofmann
University of Central Florida

Not only was I able to participate in a week long Mobile Clinic, shadowing doctors of all types of specialties including pharmacy, dentistry, gynecology, and more, but I was also able to learn about the culture and visit incredible places.

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Julian Takagi-Stewart
University of Toronto

One thing that I really loved about this trip was that MEDLIFE made sure that the volunteers got an understanding of the complexity of issues that lead to underprivileged people in communities outside of the main city

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Hannah Van Hofwegen
University of Ottawa

Whether it was basketball with the local kids, assisting the doctors, talking with families, building washrooms, holding babies, or spending time with the people who were on the SLT with me, this was an amazing opportunity that I would do over and over again.

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Isabelle Holt
Cornell University

I loved learning about the patients MEDLIFE has followed and how they offer real help to people with chronic/urgent conditions. It is amazing how the organization formed real connections with the communities.

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Valerie Lindeborg
Parent

Our family had the privilege of participating in multiple trips with Nick [founder] and his amazing staff. Their expertise made the trips unforgettable while instilling in my boys the fundamentals of good character: selflessness, compassion, and empathy.

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Harry Vildibill
University of Georgia

As an aspiring physician, MEDLIFE motivated me to further continue my goal of becoming a doctor. In fact, I enjoyed the Tanzania Service Learning Trip so much that I decided to go on another trip to Cusco, Peru.