Frontline Food And Frontline Love

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On Monday, the Manchester Police Department Monday received 50 prepackaged meals including steak tips and asparagus, pulled chicken with sweet potatoes and sausage, onion and peppers with brown rice.  The Fire Department got the same treatment.  As they should.  For weeks now, one of the shining smaller stories of frontline health and safety workers doing their jobs during this time of mandated sheltering at home and social distancing, is the local groups and teams that have stepped up to cook, prepare and deliver meals to show the community’s appreciation. 

Monday’s delivery to the police headquarters on Central Street was from FreshPrep360, an Essex County start up founded last year by three partners, including Manchester resident Michael DeCarvalho.  He and his team have been delivering healthy meals to first responders for weeks, and by Friday FreshPrep360 will have delivered more than 800 individually packaged meals where they’re really needed. 

We wanted to do something to make a difference, and as a local company we knew we could get it done,” said DeCarvalho.  “We’re working hard, but it feels great to support people who are working harder than all of us and doing what it takes right now.” 

Others are doing the same, with residents coming together to organize gofundme campaigns to raise money and do something.  One, organized by Manchester’s Joan Lockwood and Charlotte Gibson with Brendan Crocker, chef owner of Black Arrow, was launched on April 6 with an idea to raise $10,000.  Three weeks later, they’ve brought in $11,673, and counting.  Central Street’s Black Arrow closed during quarantine, but Crocker has been quietly working a small, COVID-compliant crew on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays and preparing meals for those working the frontline.  His restaurant is a cherished local favorite (in fact, its “regulars” are so loyal they often keep standing weekly reservations, making the eatery feel more like a dinner club than a restaurant).  These days, the empty bar area has been reorganized to accommodate flat pan racks and assembly items for systematically prepping and packaging delicious meals for another purpose: sustenance. 

“It feels good to do this,” said Crocker.  “I’m not too concerned about who gets them as long as they’re needed and they make a difference. 

Gibson and Lockwood reported that a nurse who had received meals from the Black Arrow had reached out via text to thank them: “I am so grateful you have thought about us,” she texted “There are so many people in need and anything done for anyone is a gift of love.” 

Manchester-Essex Regional High School sophomore Lukas Shan organized the “Support A Hospital Campaign” after watching of social media the impact of battling COVID-19 on hospital workers.  On April 14, he created a website with the goal of raising $2,000 and earmarking that money for workers at Massachusetts General Hospital system  

“I knew I couldn’t just sit at home knowing there were ways that I could help out,” said Shan. 

Between them, Michael DeCarvalho, Charlotte Gibson, Joan Lockwood, Brendan Crocker and Lukas Shan have all shown that they can make a difference.  Earlier this week, Shan’s gofundme campaign passed the $1,000 mark.  Separately on April 27, Shan delivered 400 surgical masks and 50 N95 masks to Beverly hospital.  And Between the Black Arrow and FreshPrep360, nearly 1,500 meals have been delivered to frontline workers in three weeks to police and fire stations and hospital workers at Beverly Hospital, Danvers Hospital, Addison Gilbert in Gloucester, Children’s Hospital in Boston, Salem Hospital and several nursing homes and even homeless shelters. 

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