In the ongoing efforts to quell the spread of COVID-19, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has partnered with Mezzo Ristorante to feed frontline health care workers at hospitals throughout southwestern Ontario.
An agreement reached Tuesday will deliver individually prepared and packaged meals to six locations, including five hospitals in Windsor, Essex County and Chatham-Kent. Hospitals include Windsor Regional Hospital campuses, Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare, Erie Shoes Healthcare in Leamington and Chatham-Kent Health Alliance.
Food will also be provided to hotel rooms where health care workers are living throughout their two-week quarantine.
“At the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, we are committed to the people in the community, and especially to the essential workers,” said Karl Lovett, CEO at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “IBEW respects what the men and women are doing in our hospitals, every person from reception and maintenance to nurses, doctors and security.”
The partnership is expected to help feed 5,000 frontline staff in Windsor, Leamington and Chatham-Kent over a three-week period. Mezzo owners Filip Rocca and Darcy King immediately jumped at the opportunity to help healthcare workers, who are working tirelessly to support their communities. “They’re putting their own lives at risk to help manage this epidemic and protect us all. That’s something that needs to be supported in every way we can,” said Rocca.
Meals will be delivered over a three-week period to the six locations throughout the region. Several companies came together to support the project, including owners at Mor Gro Farms, who donated tomatoes and cucumbers to help make the salads. Mezzo’s staff will be preparing a variety of sandwiches and pastas.
To ensure the food is delivered safely, two packing companies offered their support. Owners at Champion Packaging is providing containers to individually package the food for health care workers, while Post Packaging of Windsor donated the shipping boxes used to take the food containers to each location.