ezCater, the world’s largest online catering marketplace, announced Feed the Front Line, a program that helps anyone contribute meals to healthcare workers fighting coronavirus. In just over a week, the program has already sent more than 20,000 meals to 145 hospitals across the country.

Healthcare workers are risking their health to protect ours, and restaurants are fighting to stay in business. Feed the Front Line connects people who want to support healthcare workers with local restaurants who need orders, through contributions of any size. $10 feeds one healthcare worker, $300 feeds a unit, and $3,000 feeds a whole hospital floor.

Singer Lizzo sent hundreds of meals to hospitals across the country. Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit shared on Twitter, “@lizzo treated our ER staff at #HenryFordHospital to lunch today and shared a message of thanks to our #HealthcareHeroes on the front lines. #Lizzo, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for making our day brighter with your generosity.” With Feed the Front Line, everyone can help like Lizzo did.

The pandemic has devastated the restaurant industry, with average sales down more than 60 percent (according to Black Box Intelligence), and many restaurants closing their doors. To support restaurants, ezCater has waived commissions on all Feed the Front Line meals. “With orders down so much right now, feeding hospitals makes a huge difference to our business,” says Paul Barker, Owner of Pauli’s in Boston. “Sending meals to hospital workers who need support means a lot, too. And it keeps my staff working.”

“ezCater feeds people at work, and right now that means feeding the healthcare workers who are protecting us,” says Diane Swint, ezCater’s Head of Marketplace. “With Feed the Front Line, you can order a meal in under a minute, and ezCater figures out how to get it to the hospital reliably. And, today, more orders are a lifeline for restaurants.”

With a national network of 78,000 restaurants, ezCater can help anyone send meals to hospitals anywhere in the U.S. Companies have sent meals to hospitals in every city where they operate, and local charities have relied on ezCater to handle the logistics of getting meals to hospitals. For more information, visit www.ezcater.com/feedthefrontline.

Industry News, Philanthropy