Julie Thompson, Sinclair’s Director of Transition Advising, has found ways to help both healthcare workers and small businesses in the area.
Thompson noticed that downtown Dayton’s restaurants have seen a huge decrease in customers due to the pandemic. She began to consider ways to help but could not come up with any at first. After hearing about the hardships that healthcare workers were going through, her inspiration came to her:
“I…thought about these restaurant owners who are struggling for their livelihood and these healthcare workers who are helping people…and combined the two,” said Thompson. “What I decided to do is make a large order from some of these struggling restaurants and deliver that food to healthcare workers.”
Thompson texted her friends to see if they would be interested in supporting her cause. While Sinclair itself is not part of this initiative, Thompson has found support from her colleagues. Later, she shared a post on her personal Facebook page:
“I just threw it out there and the post got shared and shared,” said Thompson. “I was getting money from strangers.”
The first delivery took place in November and provided food to staff from three COVID units at Soin Medical Center. Over $600 was given to one restaurant.
Thompson’s cause has continued to cover more healthcare facilities. Both the day and night shifts for COVID units at Soin, Grandview and Kettering Medical Centers have received food. The large day shift at Miami Valley Hospital, along with Veterans Affairs, have also been brought deliveries.
The cause has started to support various restaurants through the deliveries as well:
“I really hit Carmen’s Bistro and Phebe’s Café, which are both located on the first floor of large buildings that have no workers,” said Thompson. “Basically, the employees within those buildings could almost sustain them, but they don’t have employees showing up there.”
The owner of Carmen’s Deli & Bistro created a video message that was shared on the causes’ Facebook page, Feeding the Frontlines Locally. He explained his deep gratitude for the donations provided, as the business would have had to shut down if it were not for this extra help. Thompson highly recommends that people try this restaurant.
Thompson created the Facebook page with one of her friends who has done similar work for the Columbus area, including Nationwide Children’s Hospital. This page covers both areas so that people can see the work they are doing and find donation information.
So far, Dayton’s efforts have allowed about $10,000 to be given to local businesses and approximately 1,000 healthcare workers to be fed.
“They enjoyed the meal…but I think it was more…to remind them that the community and people they don’t know wanted to say ‘thank you,’” said Thompson.
To get further help with fundraising, Thompson is partnering with the Greene Medical Foundation.
“As long as I keep getting the donations, I will keep doing this,” said Thompson. “I don’t think the healthcare workers…will ever say ‘no.’ Even if it’s not as busy now, they have to be emotionally exhausted for everything they just went through. The businesses are still struggling because people aren’t working downtown and…people aren’t eating out like they were.”To help Thompson’s cause, people can donate through the Greene Memorial Foundation at https://greene.thankyou4caring.org/ if they wish for their donation to be tax-deductible. On the page, they will choose the designation “Support Our Frontline.” They can also donate directly through Thompson’s Venmo: @julie-thompson-200.
Rebekah Davidson
Intern