Submitted
While hospital staff in Carmel are working 24/7 to respond to COVID-19, independent restaurants are in peril from the economic impact of the coronavirus. Feed the Frontlines Carmel, which launched on April 10, has been an overwhelming success. The program is designed to benefit both healthcare workers and restaurants.
This program provides close to 190 meals each day from local restaurants to Ascension St. Vincent Carmel and IU Health North hospitals for both day and nightshift healthcare workers dealing directly with COVID-19 patients. The City of Carmel and the Rotary Club of Carmel, through the Rotary District 6560 Foundation, are working together to manage this program.
The community has graciously rallied around this program raising over $36,000 to date. One particularly noteworthy contributor is the Carmel Middle School 8th grade girls basketball team. With their season cut short, they chose to donate the remainder of their meal fund in the amount of $605.30 to Feed the Frontlines. It’s a true win-win: Healthcare workers are enjoying nourishing meals while local restaurants are receiving the critical business necessary to maintain staff employment.
Local participating restaurants include: A Cut Above Catering, Agave Bar & Grill, Blu Moon, Bub’s Burgers, BurgerIM, Divvy, Donatello’s, Fat Dan’s Deli, Fork + Ale House, Greek Tony’s, Greek’s Pizzeria Main Street, Greek’s Pizzeria Village of West Clay, Joe’s Next Door, KingCal Kitchen, Muldoon’s, Papa Fattoush, Rose & Lois, Rosie’s Place, Sauce on the Side, Savor and Woodys Library Restaurant.
To kickstart the initiative, the program was funded with $10,000 from the City of Carmel and $100,000 from Clay Township. This, plus the $36,000 from the community, has allowed this program to operate. Two restaurants per day are scheduled through May 24. As the state begins its re-entry plan, remember that COVID-19 patients continue to need care for the long road to recovery and more patients are still entering the healthcare system. Feed the Frontlines will continue as long as funds allow and the need exists.
Additional information, including how to donate can be found on the City of Carmel’s COVID-19 “How Can I Help” page by clicking here.
Donations pay for meals produced by independent local restaurants and delivered to frontline healthcare workers. The Rotary Club of Carmel has pledged that remaining funds after the pandemic is over will continue to feed our community through local food pantries.
About the Rotary District 6560 Foundation
The Rotary District 6560 Foundation was established in 1997 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to provide a tax-sheltered destination for Rotary District’s Clubs to raise funds for their charitable service projects that benefit their local communities or communities worldwide. The Rotary District Foundation of Central Indiana transforms financial support in to generous service projects that change lives not just in Indiana but globally. The Foundation is delighted to partner with the Rotary Club of Carmel and the Carmel Mayor’s office to “Feed the Frontlines.”