May 27, 2020Featured Image: Janice Fernandes, Emergency Department Nurse Unit Manager and Emergency Nurse, Christie Wilkins
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, support for our hard-working frontline health care workers has shown that our community really comes together in challenging times.
This pandemic has affected all industries across Melbourne but one in particular that has been significantly impacted is the hospitality industry.
A new initiative forged to help Melbourne hospitality businesses and frontline health workers during this time is Operation Thank You: FrontLine Meals.
Founder, Natasha Oommen created FrontLine Meals as a ‘win-win’ for both the hospitality and the health care industry.
In what she describes as a “match made in heaven”, the idea behind the initiative was to support impacted restaurants whilst providing hot meals to health care workers working hard throughout the pandemic – meals paid for by community donations.
Natasha who is a Melbourne-based Corporate IT Project Manager, said, “I just wanted to do something to help and do something positive. Food is such an integral part of our lives and this marriage of hospitality and frontline care seemed like a simple way to help our community.”
“Operation Thank You FrontLine Meals is above all else a gratitude and kindness initiative – we want to show both our frontline and hospitality community that we care and are behind them in this trying time,” Natasha added.
FrontLine Meals has connected with leading Melbourne hospitality businesses, including Atlantic Group, who have recently delivered meals to our staff.
CEO of the Atlantic Group, Hatem Saleh said, “Atlantic Group is proud to provide chef-prepared meals to our dedicated frontline workers during the COVID-19 crisis. We would like to recognise and applaud the immense efforts of all first responders who have risked their own health and self-sacrificed in order to battle this pandemic.”
“Thanks to the generosity of the community, we are able to jointly provide some level of care back to these tireless workers with the provision of nutritious meals. We sincerely wish everyone health and safety as we continue to navigate through these unprecedented times together,” Hatem added.
Northern Health staff have been very grateful to receive this support from FrontLine Meals, who have been facilitating regularly delivered meals to our staff across all campuses, with the assistance of Northern Health Foundation.
Janice Fernandes, Emergency Department Nurse Unit Manager, said, “Thank you for the delicious meals sent to all our staff. While our teams are busy caring for you and members of the community, having these sumptuous meals delivered at various intervals have been received with so much gratitude.”
“Our shift workers sometimes don’t have time to cook or sit with families and have a meal together, so having the delicious meals cooked and delivered brought comfort to the team and lifted their spirits. On behalf of the Northern emergency team, we would like to thank the community for their ongoing support and generosity.”
For more information about Operation Thank You: FrontLine Meals, head to www.frontlinemealsmelb.org
