Organizations are feeding hospital workers during the coronavirus pandemic

It has been a scene that has played out at numerous hospitals in the Delaware Valley over the past few weeks. An employee comes out of the hospital to accept scores of free meals for their colleagues. Pizza, pasta, hoagies, you name it, a collective effort to feed the people who are battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Throughout the area, a number of charitable organizations have sprung up to help to feed doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other frontline hospital workers.

John Chirico is among the organizers who felt compelled to help.

With free time on his hands, Chirico — who owns Champion Restoration and is a resident of Washington Township — formed Food4Staff, which is raising donations to buy food from local restaurants.

With the help of his wife, Jaime, and his mother, Maria Mangiamele, they launched the Food4Staff Facebook page, which has already amassed more than 10,000 followers.

They have also helped to provide a lot of meal deliveries.

“We hit every major hospital in Philadelphia and South Jersey, over 30 hospitals,” Chirico said. “More than $25,000 has been spent at local restaurants and more than 2,800 meals were served.”

“When we first started, we would order five pizzas and a couple of sandwiches and salad, and now our deliveries are going from about 30 people to upwards of 150 people,” Chirico said.

Chirico says he calls in the orders and the eating establishments are in charge of delivering the food to the hospitals.

The venture serves two purposes. It helps hospital workers who are working long shifts caring for patients, and it helps restaurants that are now limited to takeout and delivery.

Chirico says he has ordered from nearly 60 restaurants, including the Kitchen Consigliere of Collingswood, Fitzwater Cafe in Philadelphia, and Ciconte’s Italia Pizzeria of Glassboro and West Deptford.

“It’s been a big help to us,” said Ken Sowisdral, owner of Falls Deli in East Falls, who has delivered hoagies to staff at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“It’s really fun for us to do because they are so excited about it,” Sowisdral said, of the reactions his group has received.

Pictures of appreciative hospital workers have popped up on Food4Staff Facebook page.

Amy Lewis, the nurse manager of Jefferson Hospital in Washington Township, said the program has lifted the spirits of the entire staff.

“It has been overwhelming to say the least,” Lewis said. “Our team is working around the clock to really take care of patients. This gives them a chance to sit down, eat something warm, and get a nice break … It has really built up our morale."

Lewis said one of the nurses saw Food4Staff info on Facebook and reached out.

Chirico says that as word spread, hospitals called to express interest in participating in the program.

Chirico says besides himself, there are 10 other volunteers who help to take orders and schedule deliveries.

“It’s been a joint effort,” he said. “Everybody has been doing a great job, taking the orders. ”

The hospitals have put protocols in place to ensure that workers can receive donations safely.

A spokesperson for Jefferson University Hospitals said that people delivering the food are not allowed in the hospital. In this instance, the health-care workers will meet them at the door to receive the food.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia accepts food donations for at least 50 people, but all food must be individually wrapped and deliveries must be scheduled.

There are other groups in the Philadelphia area that have organized similar efforts to donate meals to hospital workers.

The Fuel for Fight drive has raised at least $66,000 to deliver food to hospital staff. Bill and Lauren Connors of Philadelphia are spearheading the effort that has fed at least 1,000 frontline workers at 15 hospitals and COVID-19 testing sites.

“One hundred percent of the money raised goes directly to local restaurants to support them while helping the hospital workers risking their lives to fight this virus,” Connors said.

Meanwhile, Rob Wright of the digital marketing firm Small Talk Media has partnered with the Trauma Survivors Foundation to start the Hospital Heroes Food Drive. The organization has raised more than $10,000 and fed more than 3,000 medial workers throughout the Philadelphia area.

Even in the first two weeks of doing this, he has seen such a big change. “When I first started doing it, they said the hospital staff was still having trouble getting food,” Wright said. “Now it is kind of making their day."

Laura Kopach, a clinical nurse from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Center City, is among the appreciative recipients.

“Times like these can make work very stressful,” she said. “Receiving a meal form the Trauma Survivors Foundation is greatly appreciated, but what is truly special is knowing that we are supported by our community.”