Easterns Blog

Unfortunately, COVID-19 aka coronavirus has affected over 5,000 people to date just in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia alone.? With all non-essential businesses closed in the area many businesses have begun to suffer.? All restaurants are closed for dine-in but still remain open for takeout and delivery.? A Montgomery County woman by the name of Julie Sapper joined Mandy Starley Coelho?s Facebook group that supports Montgomery County restaurants during this economically tough time.? They order takeout from local area restaurants and donate the meals to the staff at local hospitals.? By doing this, they are able to help keep certain restaurants afloat while still helping the healthcare workers working day and day out to help patients with this virus.

The success of Heidi Forster Gertner inspired Sapper after finding out that she raised almost $9,000 to feed the staff at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland.? Sapper reached out to Shady Grove Hospital in Rockville, Maryland to set up the same thing with them.? She had the help of a great sponsor, Mitch Wool of the Bean Bag Deli & Catering Company who is helping them to deliver 1,400 meals to their emergency room staff.

Easterns Automotive Group and Fox 5 DC got wind of this and decided to Pay It Forward.? Normally, this segment is done in person but due to coronavirus and social distancing, all parties decided to do a video conference.? Joel Bassam of Easterns Automotive Group joined Sapper and Allison Seymour of Fox 5 DC to make a donation for $2,000 to keep their wonderful work going. If you would like to join this Facebook group to support Montgomery County restaurants, please click here.

If you know someone in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area that goes above and beyond the call and is worthy of being recognized, Click here to nominate them. ?

Watch the video to see the way everything unfolded.

YouTube Link ? https://youtu.be/WnGYO04ZwxI

Link to original post ? https://www.fox5dc.com/news/montgomery-county-residents-come-together-on-facebook-to-feed-hospital-staff