The current coronavirus pandemic breaking out all over the planet is truly an unprecedented and scary experience for us in the modern world. Entire cities and states are being shut down, the economy has taken a massive hit, and at this point, staying isolated and finding a consistent food supply are the most important priorities right now. During this time of crisis, it seems that the only way to move forward is to come together as a community (not physically of course), and do our part towards limiting this crisis, and supporting and ensuring the safety of ourselves and others.
And that is exactly what we have been trying to do at Rush Hour Catering. Due to the widespread lockdown of California, a lot of our catering events were canceled right before peak season, and we had to close our doors. But we still have a staff that relied on their jobs to put food on their own tables at home, as well as food and resources that no one could afford to waste. We still have an important part to play. So we teamed up with a local homeless shelter in Palo Alto to distribute over 100 individually-packaged meals, cooked fresh in our kitchen to those who truly need them during this time. Shelters all around the country are being affected by the coronavirus outbreak as well, seeing an increase in the number of people seeking shelter combined with a decrease in donations during this crisis, and these people need our help now more than ever. And at Rush Hour Catering, we have the resources that can help them, as well as a team of employees dedicated to helping out, which means we have the responsibility to do our part.
We have also utilized Facebook friends, Nextdoor, and family outreach to identify the elderly families in our neighborhood, and others particularly vulnerable to COVID-19, and will be dropping off hot meals at their doorsteps in the coming days. This limits the amount of social exposure to could prove deadly to the more at-risk groups, as well as provides a way to keep our staff busy and employed, and ultimately supports our community in this time of need.
Kindness and Hope is Infectious
With a 24-hour news cycle that has nothing else to report on, the exposure to terrifying headlines and a lack of solutions has made the fear and uncertainty of our situation palpable every day. And similar to the coronavirus, this fear is infectious, whether it’s fear for your loved ones or fear of what will happen next. But in the same vein, hope and kindness are infectious, and that is something worth spreading during this time. Since Rush Hour Catering has focused on doing our part, providing fresh and healthy meals to those who need them, our community has compassionately risen to the occasion to do their part too. Members of the community have started donating meals themselves, as well as resources and ingredients so we can continue to provide meals during this time. Local restaurants have also started to help out, donating their fresh produce to us that they had purchased before the shutdown. And our immediate Facebook and Nextdoor communities have shown an overwhelmingly positive response, wanting to donate more meals to us and help out.
During this unprecedented and scary time, it’s the inspiration and spread of kindness, generosity, and hope that makes us stronger, and will ultimately help us make it out to the other side. By helping those in need, we inspire others to do the same, to do their small part towards beating this virus and restoring global safety and health. This is the part that Rush Hour Catering needs to play during this pandemic, and if we can inspire others to do their part and help out too, we all may have a good fighting chance. If you would like to help out in this cause, whether through donation or support, please give us a call, or contact us on Facebook messenger. Stay safe, stay inside, and do what you can to help us all through this time of crisis.