This is one of 50 finalists in the Reader’s Digest “50 Nicest Places in America” contest for 2020. A crowd-sourced effort to uncover places in all 50 states where kindness and generosity are reigning supreme amidst a climate of coronavirus and cultural upheaval, you can now vote for your favorite ‘Nicest Place’ by visiting the Reader’s Digest website. 

A cancelled internship turned into a big opportunity for one young woman to help her whole state.

Just a few months ago, the Emory University student, like the rest of us, was gearing up for the summer when COVID-19 ruined her plans.


“After receiving countless emails about canceled internships, I had just about concluded that I would be spending my summer twiddling my thumbs,” said Lia Rubel from her home in Barre, Vermont, a blue-collar town of about 10,000.

That’s when she got a call from a friend about a new initiative organized by some Yale University students who saw a great need—a need that escalated to urgent in the era of coronavirus. People were still in need of medical care but couldn’t leave their homes for fear of spreading or contracting the virus, especially seniors, who are more vulnerable.

That’s why, in March, Telehealth Access for Seniors was born: to get communications technology, such as a smartphone or tablet computer, to elderly patients who lack and very much need it.

“It’s more than just a device. It’s a vital connectivity tool and it could save someone’s life,” says Rubel, 18, who joined the initiative in March as the lead for Vermont. “It just hurt my heart that they don’t have that privilege and they can’t connect to friends and families. They can’t even connect to their doctors.”