Landings Resident Helps Spread Thanks to Local Medical Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people around the globe, and healthcare workers everywhere are working overtime to care for others while often putting self-care last on their list. 

Landings resident Jennifer Green, a Physician’s Assistant who took a hiatus from work last year to care for her two small children, ages three and seven, is well aware of the regular demands of healthcare professionals. But add in a pandemic, and you have a recipe for mass chaos. Well aware of this fact, Green knew she had to help. She developed a Facebook Group, Meals for Medical, to help raise money to provide meals for health care professionals in our area. 

“I thought it would be nice to feed all of the ER doctors, nurses, and staff who are working so hard in the face of this pandemic,” she said. “These are my colleagues, and I completely understand what they are going through, and it isn’t easy. I know what it’s like to work the hard and rough hours, and it is nice to receive a thank you. Sometimes, food is the best way to say thank you.”

Practically as soon as Green launched her Facebook Group, she began receiving messages from other residents and friends wanting to know how they could help, and a week later, the group had raised $16,000.

“Most of what we raised is coming from individual, non-tax-deductible donations,” she said. “Technically, we are not yet a nonprofit,as honestly I never expected there to be so much response to this initiative. However, now that there is, I believe it is a good idea to legitimize our efforts with a tax ID number, and I am currently working on securing one. Additionally, all of our food is obtained from local merchants, as we are trying to help keep them in business during this trying time as well.”

Green’s group covers all three hospitals in the area (e.g., Memorial, Candler, and St. Joseph’s) as well as Chatham Emergency Services and the Fire Department.

“We are providing meals every day for approximately 315 people,” she said. “This Sunday’s meals are made possible through the efforts of The Landings Club and The Landings Company. The Landings Club is preparing the meals at cost, and The Landings Company is paying for it.”

While providing the meals to deserving medical professionals, Green and her team are making sure to practice responsible social distancing to do their part not to spread the coronavirus.

“We are very conscious of taking the appropriate precautions and following the rules, as we do our best to be helpful,” she said. “For example, when we make our deliveries to the hospitals, we coordinate with them to let them know when the meals will arrive. When we arrive, one-or-two people come down, and we load their carts. We do our best to limit person-to-person contact at all times for our safety and the safety of others.”

If you are interested in learning more about Meals for Medical, visit their Facebook Group Page. To watch a video interview WSAV News recently held with Green, click here.