Open Collective
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17,000 frontline workers fed/caffeinated by June 27, 2020
Published on June 28, 2020 by Ellen Y Kuwana

Wow...we've exceeded 17,000 essential workers that's we've gotten fed (hot meals, cookies and chocolate) and hydrated (coffee, water, milk and energy drinks)!

We've ordered delicious meals from more than 65 local restaurants, and delivered meals to more than 70 sites, most recently ACRS (Asian Counseling and Referral Service), ICHS (International Community Health Services in the International District and up in Shoreline), Safeway, Seattle Human Society, and University District Food Bank staff and volunteers.

We'll be taking some time off in July and August to tally up dollar value of donations; get donation information to University of Washington and Swedish Hospital, among others; and continue to fundraise in anticipation of a second wave of COVID-19 this fall/winter.

We are grateful to the local businesses who have donated food and beverages, the talented chefs and restaurant owners/staff who have provided delicious meals, and the many people at the frontline sites who have worked with us to coordinate where these meals will go within larger institutions, for example.

And lastly, we must say a huge THANK YOU to our donors, who have made this effort possible. We've raised over $55,000 in 4 months with very little effort--a testament to people's fundamental goodness and generosity of spirit when times are tough. I have seen firsthand how hard healthcare professionals work under "normal" circumstances, and things are not normal right now. Others are also vital: grocery clerks, bus drivers, patient transport services, etc.

WeGotThisSeattle has been honored to brighten these essential workers days; for University of Washington Virology, food became essential as places near them closed for a few weeks. They were working 24/7 in 8-hr shifts to process COVID-19 tests, and continue to do so.

All these workers do their jobs at risk to their and their families' safety.

Sincerely,

Ellen Kuwana, founder, WeGotThisSeattle