Charity Meals For Emergency Workers And Hospital Staff

Groups around the region are drumming up financial support to help emergency personnel and hospital staff in a variety of ways, from small comforts to gourmet meals, as a means of showing appreciation for the risks those individuals in the community are taking to save the lives of others.

Several restaurants have donated meals to ambulance companies and hospital staff, or are offering anytime discounts to volunteers and nurses.

Tutto iL Giorno in Southampton has offered free meals to all EMTs, paramedics, police, firefighters and anyone with a Stony Brook Southampton Hospital employee identification.

Highway Restaurant in Wainscott is asking those ordering from its gourmet takeout menu to purchase a meal voucher for emergency and healthcare workers. For $35, a customer can add a “Meals For Heroes” voucher to their order and the meal will be given to local EMT, police and firemen and hospital workers.

Southampton resident Kiera Gill has kicked off a fundraiser on GoFundMe to raise money to deliver breakfast or dinner to ambulance companies and hospital emergency department shifts. Her “Thank You Thursdays” campaign has raised more than $8,000.

Ms. Gill’s fundraiser began as a small effort to spruce up the break room for EMS workers at the Southampton hospital’s emergency department and stock it with thank you notes and snacks. It soon expanded into an effort to spread the comforts beyond the hospital campus.

“Southampton Hospital is the only hospital on the South Fork,” Ms. Gill writes in her appeal. “It services all of us from Hampton Bays to Montauk, day and night, corona, heart attacks and accidents. Please donate with me to these individuals to let them know we are thankful for their service and kindness.”