Despite it being a full whole year since the COVID-19 pandemic began, people across the globe are still continuing to suffer the consequences of this ordeal, both physically and mentally. We could only imagine the pressures and burdens that our frontline healthcare workers have face each and every day as they continue to work tirelessly to keep us safe from this virus. To bring some sense of normalcy and express our continued gratitude towards these healthcare workers, several student organizations from Northeastern University teamed up in a grassroots effort to raise funds for meal deliveries to local Boston hospitals!
The Details:
At the forefront of this initiative is Northeastern Pharmacy student and fellow Spoon University member Eugene Lee (PharmD ’23), who brought up the idea to Spoon University Northeastern’s Community Director Amy Chun (PharmD ’26). Although the details of this initiative were initially fuzzy, the primary goal remained- raise funds to purchase meals from local businesses and deliver them to healthcare workers in need. After several discussions, it was decided that the funds raised should be allocated to the popular Boston-based Flour Bakery, which already had a pre-existing program set up to buy and deliver meals for healthcare workers working in various Boston hospitals.
To raise awareness of this event and maximize the funds raised, we were able to reach out to various organizations, including Phi Lambda Sigma, Northeastern University Pharmacy Student Alliance, Lambda Kappa Sigma, Kappa Psi, Phi Delta Chi, and Rho Chi. Collaborating with representatives of each organization, we coordinated fundraising methods, set up a fundraising goal, and shared the word with our respective organization members. With the efforts of these organizations and the generosity of fellow Northeastern students, we were ultimately able to raise $630 in total, which provided enough money for 42, $15 lunch meals and snack bundles for Bostonians in need.
What did we get out of this?
Ultimately, this experience taught us the importance and profound effect of coming together in difficult times. We can speak on behalf of the other organization chairs in that we felt rewarded upon hearing that we were able to raise more awareness and support both local business and frontline health care workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many challenges to local businesses, as more people continue to work and cook from home. Some local restaurants made the decision to close and some are on the brink of closing down. It is important to help local businesses, not only to maintain the local economy but to also develop the well-being of the community.
Anyone can take action to support, and organizing fundraising events is a great way for college students to participate. We specifically chose Flour Bakery due to its value as a local business, its collaboration with other local businesses including Fazenda Coffee Roasters and Sparrow Arc Farm, and its delicious high-quality sandwiches and pastries. Through this grassroots fundraising event, we are elated at the opportunity to contribute by supporting multiple local businesses and providing free meals to frontline health care workers, who, even now, are working tirelessly day and night behind the scenes.
Now, it’s your turn- check out these articles on how to introduce Spoon to local businesses and food-related fundraising ideas to get started!