This past year, volunteering hours increased almost 450% from the year prior, as Apple employees stepped up to support Irish charities at a time when traditional fundraising activities had to be cancelled due to Covid-19.
Following on from what was a landmark year for Apple’s employee giving programme with more than €2m for charities across Ireland throughout 2020, Cork University Hospital discusses the importance of some of its projects, their potential impact and the progress since appeals were launched last year.
One aspect which has already revealed itself as of great benefit to patients, families and staff alike is the donation of iPads which facilitated connections between patients, staff and family members, some joyful reunions from near and far, as well as some heartbreaking goodbyes between friends, family and even pets.
During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown in Ireland, iPads were donated to CUH to help facilitate patient and family communication while visitors were not permitted.
The implementation of the iPads began within the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). However, the iPads are now also been used across other areas of the hospital.
A year on from the donations of the iPads, Michael Nason CEO of CUH Charity recalled the early days of the pandemic and the initial implementation of the new communication link that was created with the introduction of the technology.
