Deli Makes 150 Deliveries Of Food, Love To Front Line Heroes

MATTITUCK, NY — When the coronavirus crisis hit, Wendy Zuhoski of Wendy's Deli in Mattituck sprang into action. She organized efforts to help front line workers and made more than 150 deliveries to make sure heroes never went hungry.

And food wasn't all Zuhoski opened her heart to share: In late July, Zuhoski donated 450 customized “SBELIH Strong” t-shirts to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital’s entire staff.

Earlier in the year, a deli patron donated “NoFo Strong” T-shirts to Zuhoski and her staff. She posted a photo of the shirts on Facebook, and her followers’ response was overwhelming.

Zuhoski sold 815 shirts in two days, then, she placed a new order and sold another 694 shirts, raising about $9,000, SBELIH said; she also ordered and sold hundreds of “North Fork Strong” flags as part of the effort.

With the funds raised, Zuhoski donated gift cards to SBELIH, Peconic Landing and San Simeon; she also donated the T-shirts to SBELIH.

Looking back on the journey through the past difficult months, Zuhoski said there was fulfillment in giving back.

"The entire journey was rewarding — but the community jumping in so fast to help was definitely the most rewarding," she said.

“From countless meals to these hundreds of T-shirts, our hospital is so grateful for Wendy’s continued support,” says Paul J. Connor III, Chief Administrative Officer, SBELIH.

Zuhoski, SBELIH said, always went out of her way to personally call the hospital directly to ensure that she donated meals to every department. When several SBELIH nurses ordered lunch for another department from Wendy’s Deli, Zuhoski wouldn’t allow them to pay.”

The admiration between Zuhoski and the community is mutual: Valerie DeFio of Mattituck also nominated Zuhoski for Patch's "Hometown Hero" series, noting that when the pandemic hit, Zuhoski stepped forward in a big way to help.

"She is truly a hero in our town," DeFio said of Zuhoski. "Over the years, she has stepped up when someone in the community has had a need. Whether it was a neighbor whose house burned down, or a community member with a life-threatening illness, or feeding our super hero essential workers that can't stay home. She's been a true bright light in our community. It's so nice to live in a with people like that. When you can be anything, always be kind. She is an inspiration and these kinds of acts bring out the best in everyone."

As for Zuhoski, she marked the special day when the last meal was dropped off. "We officially made our last delivery to our front line heroes," she said. "I would not even know where to start in the 'thank you' department, so I will just say that we could not have done what we did without your help."

Zuhoski made and brought meals to Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital, Peconic Bay Medical Center, Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance, Peconic Landing, San Simeon and Southampton Hospital.

"These are our real heroes," she said. "Each and every employee at these places deserve to be called a hero. These were some tough times and I am happy that we could deliver food to get you through the days and nights. Thank you for all of your hard work through these tough times."

Zuhoski said she wanted to express gratitude to everyone who came together to make the effort possible. "You stepped up without our asking for help," she said. "You always do. All of the local businesses, doctors' offices, our customers, friends, family and even people from out of state that follow our social media," she said.

Zuhoski also thanked the volunteers, delivery drivers, and those who sent over lunch and donated food to add to the deliveries, including Southold Fish Market, Ali Katz Kitchen, North Fork Chips, the women who baked and, she said "my Nines," residents who were "there for our every beck and call."

All the cards and letters that came pouring in, Zuhoski said, were a testament to hometown heart.

"It's really just amazing how awesome our community is," she said. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting your trust in me to do the right thing with your donations. That means so much to me. These days will never be forgotten."

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Zuhoski remains filled with gratitude: "Day by day, we got through it," she said. "I thank God we were able to stay open, stay healthy and were able to help. Thank you. We appreciate your support with everything we do. You are amazing. I would do it again in one split second. It was the most rewarding work I have ever done."