According to Sher Tsai, founder of the Vermont chapter of Frontline Foods, compassion and positivity are two of the most powerful weapons to combat COVID-19. So far, her organization has supplied over three thousand meals to "frontline workers" in Vermont's hospitals, healthcare settings, and essential service fields while also investing nearly $45,000 back into the local restaurant economy
Frontline Foods is a nationwide organization aimed at both supporting workers tirelessly fighting the COVID-19 epidemic while also supporting area restaurants who have lost significant portions of their income due to COVID-19 closures. The movement has since expanded to over 55 cities across the United States and served over 350,000 total meals to healthcare workers.
Chapters are run and facilitated by volunteers with the support of community donors. Since the start of Frontline Foods VT, the organization has raised over $150,000 to purchase meals from more than twenty-five Vermont restaurants including Taco Gordo, Drifters, the Great Northern, Bliss Bee, and the Shelburne Tap House. The meals packaged by volunteers are then sent from kitchens to locations in need including the UVM Medical Center (UVMMC), South Burlington Fire Department, Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility, and Birchwood Terrace Rehab and Healthcare Center.
Frontline Foods are especially vital in cases where workers cannot take time to purchase and prepare their meals before shifts start. Having hot, delicious, prepared foods ready-to-go help workers power through their shifts and save lives.
Although Tsai is grateful for the community support from donors and volunteers, she is hopeful that her services will soon not be needed. "As of right now, our vision is moment-by moment," she says. "It's hard to see where our organization will end up over time."
To learn more about Frontline Foods Vermont or donate to their mission, check out their website. You can also find them on Instagram @frontlinefoodsvt.