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The grocery store-giant announced this week that it plans to donate 5,000 meals daily to first responders at hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients. The donations were expected to start immediately as of Friday, April 3.
In New York, meals will be provided to Mount Sinai Hospital in East Harlem, Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, and Long Island Community Hospital in Suffolk County.
“Medical first responders are doing incredible work in extremely trying conditions to keep our communities safe, and we are honored to have this opportunity to help,” Stop & Shop President Gordon Reid said in a statement. “Stop & Shop’s 60,000 associates are working extraordinarily hard each day to ensure that everyone has access to the food they need, and we hope these meals will help in filling an essential need for local healthcare heroes in the days ahead.”
Reid issued a call to arms and said that other food retailers and suppliers should take similar steps as the virus continues to spread.
“We also hope that other food retailers and suppliers will do what they can to expand free meals at hospitals across this region and around the country.”
According to Stop & Shop, donations will include sandwiches, salads and pre-packaged entrees. There will also be a supply of energy and nutrition bars for when health workers don’t have time for a meal as they care for COVID-19 patients.
Stop & Shop also announced that it will be donating $500,000 to support COVID-19 vaccine research.
“Mount Sinai is grateful to Stop & Shop and other business partners who are joining us in this fight against this pandemic. The donations will ensure our frontline nurses, physicians and support staff have nutritious food to keep going during this very difficult time,” Patricia Lamb, the chief of ancillary and support services for the New York-based Mount Sinai Health System, said in a statement. “We thank you for supporting our community as we work to save as many lives as possible during this crisis.”
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