PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Penn Medicine hospital workers received a holiday meal this Christmas Day from a local restaurateur. The food was a bit of comfort during a hectic time fighting the coronavirus.
With so many restaurants closed, it’s not easy to get a nice bite at the hospital. So patient care technician Bnai Calvert was pleasantly surprised to receive a gourmet holiday meal.
“It means everything when people show that they’re willing to look out for us,” Calvert said.
“This is like a warm hug when we need it most," said patient care technician Michael Jordan.
Restaurateur Stephen Starr, who stopped by Pennsylvania Hospital for one of three drop-offs, said his staff put together 1,200 meals for hospital workers.
“They’re no different than the military. They’re defending us, they’re protecting us and I think it’s the least we can do,” Starr said.
Pennsylvania Hospital CEO Theresa Larivee said battling coronavirus has been a challenge, and while many front-line workers have “jumped right into action,” they are also exhausted.
Nurse Brittany Sanchez said sometimes she’s just so busy she doesn’t have a moment to step away.
“And so just having this food brought up to us is amazing,” Sanchez said.
Larivee said while it has been hectic, they do see an end in sight with the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, which Jordan is still waiting to receive.
“It’s really exciting. It’s kind of like you’re waiting for your armor to arrive,” he said.
But in the meanwhile, the need for care has been constant.
“And we certainly saw an uptick in the post-Thanksgiving time frame,” Larivee said.
And with the Christmas break, Laravee said they are “anticipating that there might be an uptick.”