By DANIELLE RAY | dray@sentinelandenterprise.com |
March 20, 2021 at 6:05 a.m.
LEOMINSTER – Worcester County Sheriff Lew Evangelidis paid a visit to three locations in the Twin Cities this week to drop off hundreds of new and updated File of Life cards to distribute to seniors and other community members.
The sheriff stopped by the Spanish American Center on Spruce Street and the senior centers in Fitchburg and Leominster.
File of Life are tri-fold cards that come in a plastic pocket magnetic case that can be placed on a refrigerator. They assist first responders and contain all of a person’s vital medical information, doctor contact information, current allergies, emergency contact information, and more.
“We have heard from EMT personnel that these cards can literally save lives, especially when individuals are non-responsive and when seconds really matter,” Evangelidis said. “EMTs are trained to look for these magnetic cards upon entering a home. I have one on my refrigerator at home.”
File of Life cards come in a plastic case with a magnet on the back, making it easy to put it on your refrigerator.
The updated File of Life cards also have space for COVID vaccination information including dates and manufacturer and is a good way to store your CDC issued vaccination card. According to Evangelidis, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office is the first organization in the county to distribute the new cards. When all is said and done 10,000 will be distributed around Worcester County.
“We are proud to partner with Dr. Moses Dixon and Central Massachusetts Agency on Aging,” Evangelidis said. “We have been distributing these File of Life cards for weeks. We started at the vaccination sites and now at senior centers for the last month and will continue to do so for the next few months.”
Evangelidis said they will be distributing them “to every corner of the county” from Gardner to Milford, Southbridge to Leominster and Fitchburg, part of ongoing community outreach efforts by the sheriff’s office that have ramped up during the pandemic.
“We provided grocery shopping for seniors, picked up prescription medications, delivered PPE kits, distributed 40,000 pounds of organic produce grown on the farm at the jail and last December gave out over 4,000 brand new winter coats to needy folks throughout every part of our county,” Evangelidis said. “During this critical and challenging time when so many folks had to step back from helping our community due to COVID, the Sheriff’s Department and our Reserve Deputy Sheriff’s Association stepped up. Looking back, I believe 2020 was our finest hour. The need was greater than ever before.”
