Lunch for Health Care Workers at MGH & CHA

"One Person Can Make a Difference, And Everyone Should Try"
- John F. Kennedy 

The Power of Showing Up

Dear Neighbors and Community Members - These are challenging times for all of us. We're all feeling a multitude of emotions and how we respond matters. In light of the current Pandemic, we find ourselves wanting to give back to those who are doing everything they can to help in response to the COVID-19 crisis. 

Like so many others, my son, Elijah and I are interested in helping. Currently, local chefs and restaurants are uniting to feed the front lines by crafting a new organization that provides warm meals to doctors and nurses.  However, there are other healthcare line level workers and allied health professionals such as those in materials management, environmental services, lab and anesthesia technicians, to name a few, who could use community support. They are showing up to work every day, they are also scared, and they can benefit from our care and kindness. With hospital cafeteria's closed and with little to no time during shifts, healthcare workers are struggling to feed themselves. 

Environmental services workers, in particular, are critical to maintaining infection control. They too need to gown up in order to clean patient rooms, nursing stations, lounges, restrooms, offices, clinics, and all other areas. 

Restaurants are also struggling. Through this effort, we have decided to partner with a small, local restaurant as a means to feeding health care workers. Our partner, Dimi's Place in Cambridgeport, has agreed to offer bagged lunches at a discount.  Supporting our smaller, local restaurants will be key to keeping our community intact.

Here' s how you can spread kindness and help.
Fundraising Goal:

One of the kindest things we can do to support ALL of our front line healthcare workers is to feed them during this stressful and scary time. We need to help them as they protect us. 

If you wish to help provide lunches to line level health care workers and other allied health professionals in our hospitals, please consider donating $10, 25, $50 or whatever you can afford.

Our goal is to raise $1500 by Tuesday, April 7th- The money will go towards providing 80 bagged lunches to materials management and environmental service workers at MGH on Wednesday, April 8 and  80 bagged lunches to environmental services, lab and anesthesia techs at Cambridge Hospital on Friday, April 10th.

If we reach our overall goal of $3000, then we can continue to organize lunch deliveries to these hospitals for a few weeks.  

Logistics:

All lunch bags will be delivered to the hospital's respective loading docks or specified locations.  All precautions will be taken during the handling and delivery of these meals. 

Donations:

By making a donation, you understand that it is going to the purchasing of individually bagged lunches, in partnership with Dimi's, that will be delivered to line level health care service and support workers at MGH and Cambridge Hospital.   

Thanks for your consideration.  Please note, I will be updating the site weekly and sharing photos of our initiative. 

Who am  I?

Jennifer Betancourt has lived in the Cambridgeport neighborhood of Cambridge for 5 ½ years. Jennifer and her husband, Will, have 2 young boys, a 9-year-old who is a third grader at the Morse School and a 5-month old. 

Connections to these hospitals:

MGH: I have family members who work at MGH. I reached out to inquire about employee needs and was told the service and support units would be grateful for such a donation. 

Cambridge Hospital: I gave birth to my son, Lucas, this past November at Cambridge Hospital. All providers and allied health workers (patient service representatives, lab technicians, food service workers and of course, the incredible team of midwives, nurses, doctors and lactation consultants) provided top notch care and support to me during my extended stay at the hospital.  I have connected with Yvonne Johnson, Director of Food Services, who has assured me that these groups of workers would be so grateful to be remembered and could use a moral boost via a food donation.