Website Gathering Donations For Santa Cruz Health Care Workers

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Health care workers across the country have been working grueling shifts as they struggle to treat the influx of patients sick with the coronavirus.

To help support local doctors and nurses during this trying time, two friends set up an online fundraiser to bring hot meals to health care workers in a show of appreciation. The two say they were inspired by the story of a 25 meal donation to a Bay Area hospital, and realized they could do something similar.

So they set up the website COVID-meals,gathering donations from the community to buy hot meals that are then delivered to a variety of hospitals across Santa Cruz County.

Organizers say the donations benefit local restaurants that are not getting a lot of business right now thanks to the shelter-in-place order, and gives hardworking medical workers a little of that comfort and support they desperately need.

The website delivered its first meal to Driftwood Health Care Center in Santa Cruz on March 27. Since then theyve delivered food to ERs at Dominical Hospital, Watsonvile Community Hospital, Pajaro Valley Clinic, Westwind Memory Care and more.

The website says they've got a variety of restaurants involved already, including:

• Charlie Hong Kong
• Real Thai Kitchen
• Vasili’s Greek Restaurant
• El Chipotle Taqueria
• Ambrosia
• Pacific Cookie Co.
• Ella’s at the Airport
• Wooden Nickel
• Kickin Chicken
• Cilantro's
• El Buen Taco

Organizers say any other restaurants that are also interested in partcipating are welcome to reach out to them by emailing admin@covid-meals.org.

You can find out more about the program and how to donate at their website covid-meals.org.