GREENFIELD — Franklin County residents are organizing a “Meal Train” to donate delivered meals to the staff at Baystate Franklin Medical Center as they work to keep the community safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This effort also supports local restaurants that are making and delivering the food during this time of economic hardship. Using MealTrain.com, volunteers can sign up to help feed hospital employees at noon and 7 p.m. each day. Food is ordered from local restaurants, which then deliver the meals to the Emergency Department entrance.
According to the Meal Train website, the health care professionals being fed include 16 members of the Emergency Department and radiology staff, 20 Intensive Care and Inpatient Unit staff members, 12 housekeeping staff members and six respiratory therapy staff members.
Jess Allen, a Greenfield resident, organized the local Meal Train. She said she was inspired to start the project after seeing similar efforts in other states. She is also personally connected as her cousin is a nurse at Baystate Franklin who transitioned from working in the surgical department to the emergency unit as the hospital handles the COVID-19 crisis.
“I was scrolling through Facebook and saw another Meal Train,” Allen said. “I thought, ‘This is something I can organize to help from the comfort of my own home.’”
Although it was originally scheduled to last just one week, the Meal Train quickly filled up. Allen said she has no intention of setting an end date.
“I’m happy to keep doing this as long as people are showing the interest,” she said.
Allen originally asked Mesa Verde about being a delivering restaurant, and the owners offered to donate food as well. Hope & Olive also quickly signed up, and many restaurants are offering to donate outright or are providing discounts, Allen said.
“It’s awesome how flexible some restaurants have been with us,” Allen said.
Restaurants have also been cooperating with packaging requests. Allen said Terrazza, for example, packaged personal-size lasagnas and delivered them to the hospital.
All food needs to be packaged individually due to enhanced safety measures. For example, pizza is allowed, but not in the large boxes in which it is normally delivered. Instead, pizza should be packaged by slices in tinfoil or other packaging. Fruit and vegetables must be packaged in single-serving cups. In addition to food, health care workers are accepting donated bottled water, sodas, prepackaged snacks and coffee.
Anyone making a donation though Meal Train is asked to specify to which department they would like food delivered. This will allow donors to keep track and help ensure all fron-line staff are being supported. The group of health care workers includes vegetarians, too, so donors are advised to choose some options that everyone can eat.
Those donating meals should coordinate with the charge nurse at the Emergency Department, Intensive Care and Inpatient Units to confirm packaging and delivery information. The hospital requests that nobody donate home-cooked meals. If donors plan to drop off food themselves instead of arranging for delivery, they should make a note on the website so it can be approved ahead of time.
“It’s best if it is a no-contact delivery,” Allen said.
Mesa Verde co-owner Amy McMahan said Monday night that the restaurant was delivering 16 meals paid for by a local resident. McMahan said the donor also donated food for two days last week after Allen reached out about joining the Meal Train.
“We jumped at the chance,” McMahan said. “We all want to help the people on the front lines.”
While McMahan is showing her support for health care and hospital workers, residents have been helping support Mesa Verde and other restaurants during this time of economic hardship.
“People have been buying gift certificates and telling us how important it is that we’re still here at the end of the day,” McMahan said.
The Meal Train website at bit.ly/3eigbUK lists “favorite meals” for hospital staff, which include: Antonio’s II Pizza & Grinders, Mesa Verde, New Fortune, Domino’s, Prondecki’s Pizza, Terrazza, Sofia’s Pizza, Beijing House, Applebee’s, 99 Restaurant & Pub, BJs, the Stone Soup Cafe and Thai Blue Ginger. Donors can also purchase and send restaurant gift cards through the website.
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.