Fortifying the Frontlines of COVID-19
A Unique Partnership in Service to Public Health
We are stronger together—join us in support!
As the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, leaving unprecedented hardship and loss in its wake, it’s important to recognize and celebrate the bright spots of ingenuity, compassion, and care that underscore our shared humanity and the enduring good in the world. From companies providing laptops for public school students to continue remote learning during the shutdown to states providing ventilators to harder hit areas in the country to the millions of individuals and families who are staying home in collective effort to flatten the curve – it’s abundantly clear that we are all in this together.
Yet, doctors and nurses as well as first responders carry a heavier burden as essential workers, who have selflessly answered the call to serve despite the potential (sometimes, very high) risk to their health and the health of their families. We applaud and deeply appreciate their courage and dedication to helping those who are sick while keeping our communities safe.
To thank and support these brave men and women, SightLife partnered with Aldrich + Associates and John Howie Restaurants to fortify our local frontlines through the preparation and delivery of quality, healthy food as well as personal protective equipment (PPE).
“While each of our businesses has been significantly impacted by this pandemic, we recognize what’s at stake,” said George Ward, President of Aldrich + Associates. “That’s why John, Claire, and I joined together to leverage our strengths and help the frontline healthcare heroes focus on saving lives.”
After only two weeks of accelerated big-hearted planning, the effort formally launched on April 3 with the chefs at Chef John Howie’s Beardslee Public House Restaurant preparing 300 meals for delivery. Aldrich contributed funds to support the preparation and purchase of each $10 meal, and SightLife as well as Aldrich contributed staff and vehicles to transport 200 meals to EvergreenHealth Medical Center in Kirkland, and 100 meals to Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue. These efforts secured a delicious spread of roasted chicken breast with fingerling potatoes, grilled zucchini and herb chicken gravy for the frontline healthcare workers. Prior to picking up and delivering the meals, SightLife provided more than two thousand dollars-worth of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from our stockpile to Swedish Hospital and Harborview/UW Medicine, both located nearby to downtown Seattle headquarters.
Typically, the PPE would be used by SightLife in our cornea recovery process, but those efforts have slowed while elective surgeries, including corneal transplants, remain suspended (canceled or deferred) in service to the safe and effective management of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Washington state.
“With staff and programs in China, we have unique perspective on COVID-19, so even before the cessation of elective surgeries, we were committed to supporting solutions that prioritized public health,” said Claire Bonilla, CEO of SightLife. “The crisis hit SightLife hard, and we’ve experienced setbacks as a result, but finding ways to come together as a community, make a positive impact and support one another, is truly important. I hope our efforts inspire others to look for unconventional partnerships to fortify our heroes on the frontline,” she added.
Recent donations have further fueled this initiative, helping to secure an additional 500 meals, which are scheduled to be delivered Friday, April 10. This week’s meal will include lemongrass crusted salmon with coconut curry sauce, sticky rice, zucchini-carrot-nappa cabbage slaw, and pineapple-mango-coconut curry salad. Through the generous financial support of these local leaders, our community is coming together to show appreciation and gratitude to the heroes delivering life-saving care against COVID-19.
This unique cross-sector partnership will continue to prepare and deliver meals to healthcare workers for as long as funding is available. Please join us in fortifying the frontline by giving today – just $100 will sponsor ten generous, nutritious meals for frontline healthcare workers, helping to ensure they have the energy needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic through the difficult months ahead.
Make sure to share your support online using the hashtag #thankshealthheroes, encouraging others to join in and help fortify the frontline!