A campaign to feed front-line health care workers caring for coronavirus patients raised more than $76,000 and served more than 16,000 meals in less than five weeks. Meals for Heroes, which launched April 1 and closed in early May, was a collaboration between the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s advancement office and the UAB Department of Food and Nutrition Services. It was created to feed health care providers and administrative staff at UAB hospitals and the remote COVID-19 testing site where long shifts and busy schedules often leave them no time to purchase food.
“The donation through Meals for Heroes provided meals to lab personnel on April 20, during National Lab Appreciation Week,” said Sherry Polhill, associate vice president for Hospital Laboratories, Respiratory Care and Pulmonary Function Services at UAB Medicine. “UAB Hospital Labs appreciate the Birmingham community for their generosity and acts of service.”
UAB Football head coach Bill Clark and his wife, Jennifer, along with the Heart of Alabama Chevy Dealers, gave $10,000 to the campaign, which placed orders with local restaurants and caterers in an effort to help support community partners and bolster Birmingham businesses. Many partners provided in-kind meal donations, including Milo’s Tea Co., Jimmy John’s, Newk’s and other restaurants. UAB Food Services worked with businesses to ensure specific food safety guidelines were met, and also served more than 5,800 meals to compassionate care caregivers.
“The outpouring of support from churches, synagogues, restaurants, businesses and individuals in our community has been amazing,” said Charlotte Beeker, associate vice president for Food, Nutrition and Guest Services at UAB Medicine. “The donations made by these groups and so many others to support the Meals for Heroes campaign just shows what a great community we live in. Our health care workers have been heroic in their efforts during this pandemic and our community has been equally heroic in their flood of care and encouragement.”
At the end of the Meals for Heroes campaign, the remaining gift balance was $21,000, which Beeker says will be used to continue feeding health care workers caring for COVID-19 patients.
This story originally appeared on the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s UAB News website.
