'Feed The Heroes' Through Downtown Manhattan Beach Restaurants
Mar 18, 2020 11:42AM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Downtown Manhattan Beach is preparing to 'Feed the Heroes' - that is, the local hospital workers who are on the front line during the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis.
The Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professionals Association (DTMB) is leading a new effort through which they will collect donations and purchase meals from downtown restaurants to deliver to front-line hospital workers.
The plan is to deliver up to three meals per day to the
combined 90 emergency room employees at Little Company of Mary and Torrance
Memorial Hospitals, according to Jill Lamkin, executive director of DTMB.
DTMB will collect donations and purchase meals directly from
participating restaurants. By centralizing the operation, DTMB will be able to distribute the
support as well as coordinate with each restaurant based on their
respective meal-time capacities.
The targeted meal and delivery price range is $10-$15 per
breakfast/lunch, and $15-20 per dinner.
To contribute, click here.
According to Lamkin, the goal is twofold: to help downtown restaurants to continue to earn money to pay their employees, and to support hospital staff working on the front lines of the crisis. Lamkin credited Manhattan Beach resident Betsey Keely for the idea.
Keely said that she and her family had been trying to think of ways to make a difference for local businesses and also help hospital staff and doctors.
"It’s
a simple equation," said Keely. "We have restaurants to offer food, a tremendously
generous community who wants to make a difference, and there are people
working strenuous and long hours to save lives who need to be fed. I
thought of Jill Lamkin and her expert mobilizing skills through Downtown
Manhattan Beach, and together we are making this happen."
On a related note, DTMB is maintaining a Business Operations Updates page on its web site that keeps track of which Downtown Manhattan Beach businesses are closed, which have modified service hours, and which restaurants are offering pickup and delivery.
For questions, contact Jill Lamkin of the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professionals Association.
