Above: The party capping off Mental Health Awareness Month will include honoring a resident for his contributions to our community. (image edited from flyer)
In two weeks, the community is invited to “Celebrate Wellness”. The reception will feature music, art and light refreshments in honor of Mental Health Awareness month.
It will also include the presentation of the annual Laurie Sugarman Whittier Wellness Award. This year’s recipient is Southborough resident Dr. Safdar Medina.
The event will be held Wednesday, May 29, 6:00 pm at the Community House, 28 Main Street. There is a $5 suggested donation to support SYFS’ programs including Winter Wishes and Summer Camperships. Venmo will be accepted.
The award will be presented at 7:00 pm.
I had some inklings of why Medina would be selected to be honored as a Community Hero. But I wanted to hear what the Youth Commission who selected him had to say, so I reached out.
Chair Lauren Richey responded “All of the nominated individuals this year were deserving of recognition, contribute in wonderful and different ways to our community, and will also be recognized at the Celebrate Wellness event.”
She preceded that with a long accolade taken from one of the letters nominating Medina for his contributions to our community over the years. I’ll just share some of those highlights:
Medina’s volunteerism includes serving on the Southborough Board of Health, the Southborough’s Medical Advisory Team, Encompass (the Northborough-Southborough substance abuse prevention coalition), the Northborough – Southborough Schools’ Coalition for Equity, and Southborough Neighbors for Peace.
As a member of the Neighbors for Peace, he “has played an integral part in promoting cultural diversity, acceptance, understanding and equity in our community” and helped to organize town-wide events to bring awareness to racial injustices.
When migrants were sheltered in Southborough last year without advance notice, he helped with intake interviews, physical exams, and care. “He came to the high school to perform the physical exams for the immigrant high school students and for the elementary and middle school students he made house (hotel room) calls. Knowing they needed a medical home, he then embraced these students into his own practice.”
He has volunteered at vaccine clinics, and during the pandemic, offered physicals for student-athletes who couldn’t see their physicians to get clearance to play Algonquin sports.
Those were just a sample of the many examples, which were summed up with, “He is kind, caring, empathetic, smart, reasonable, and never ceases to lose sight of his vocation to protect and empower our youth.”
