Hillsborough Siblings Deliver Meals For Heroes Amid Coronavirus

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough siblings Navleen and Raj Boparai are helping to feed those serving in the front lines of the new coronavirus outbreak.

"My sister and I have organized a fundraiser that will help appreciate the efforts of the men and women who are working extensive hours to save lives," said Raj, a ninth grader at Hillsborough High School.

The pair came up with the idea last week while sitting at home off from school. Navleen, who volunteers in the cardiology department at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, knows first hand how hard the doctors and nurses work.

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"I appreciate how much the nurses work and it is amazing to see how much work they put into it everyday," said Navleen, an 11th grader at HHS. "I can’t imagine how hard it is to work during the whole coronavirus pandemic."

Taking matters into their own hands the brother and sister collected funds and reached out to Manville Pizza at 31 S. Main St. to help put together individually packed meals for the hospital staff. This in turn helps give Manville Pizza steady business to keep afloat during amid the coronavirus.

"We wanted to help those that we appreciate for saving lives…. But local businesses are also struggling to remain stable and remain alive," Raj said. "During the pandemic things are falling apart for local businesses."

For every $10 raised they can deliver one meal which includes a personal pizza and a drink. Within 24 hours of announcing their intentions they raised enough money to deliver 250 meals. They delivered the first 50 meals on Tuesday.

Now the siblings are expanding their efforts to ask friends in other areas to host their own Meals for Heroes fundraiser to help more hospitals in New Jersey. So far they have friends helping at five other area hospitals including:

• Morristown Medical Center - Nikayla and Adalia Karda-Marok
• Elmhurst Hospital - Mehr Singh and Kabir Nagpal of Hillsborough
• JFK Medical Center - Naischa Puri
• Monroe Police Dept. and Monroe Testing Centers - Unnat Chhatwal
• St. Peter's University Hospital- Jai Narula and Marissa Narula

For more information or to donate to Navleen and Raj Boparai’s Meals for Heroes visit facebook.com/mealsforheroes.

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