East Cobb businesses providing meals for health care workers

East Cobb businesses health care worker meals

On Monday Smita Daya delivered 45 meals she prepared for health care workers at the Wellstar East Cobb Health Park.

The owner of the Olea Oliva! gourmet shop at The Avenue East Cobb, is staying open for customers who want to shop for her variety of olive oils, vinegars, spices, teas and related artisanal products.

But she’s also donating her time and resources to give a boost to those who are working around the clock to tend to those sick with COVID-19.

Another East Cobb resident, Alison Estella, who runs Rua Marketing, a digital agency, is donating her services for a fundraising drive that also is helping to feed medical professionals, at Kennestone and elsewhere.

Her GoFundMe drive started last week with a goal of raising $5,000, and she told East Cobb News Monday the outreach has netted close to that.

On Tuesday, more than 40 meals were delivered to the Kennestone ICU.

East Cobb businesses health care worker meals — *Lunches provided by Smita Daya of Olea Oliva! to East Cobb Health Park workers.*

But she’s not stopping now.

“We’re just trying to get Cobb County residents to donate,” said Estella, who’s also coordinated efforts to feed workers at the Wellstar North Fulton emergency unit and the Northside Forsyth Women’s Center.

The donations are used to place orders with several local restaurants, including Paradise Grill, XenGo Fusion Sushi and WZ Tavern in East Cobb (see video below).

When the meals are ready, Estella coordinates their deliveries to the medical locations.

“There’s a dual purpose here,” she said. Medical workers are fed, and “it keeps small businesses afloat. They need the business.”

Proceeds from the GoFundMe drive are also used to provide a 20 percent tip to the restaurant staffers.

“These guys are still alive, and they want to be able to pay their staff.”

What Estella ideally is looking for is not necessarily a few major donors, but many donors offering a few dollars in smaller amounts.

“This is so easy,” she said.

You can also nominate local essential medical facilities to receive the meals, and restuarants to prepare them.

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has launched what it calls its Operation Meal Plan, which also solicits donations. Restaurants provide meals to be delivered to various non-profit organizations around the county associated with the Cobb Community Foundation.

The selected restaurants include Kouzina Christos in East Cobb. Here’s more from the Chamber about how to get involved in that effort:

For restaurants interested in participating in Operation Meal Plan, contact Nate Futrell, with the Cobb Chamber, at nfutrell@cobbchamber.org and include the following information: point of contact for the restaurant, contact information and what the restaurant’s capacity is per meal request.
For non-profits in need of food for their clients, contact Melanie Kagan, with the Center for Family Resources, at MelanieKagan@thecfr.org. After non-profits and restaurants sign up to participate, Kagan will coordinate orders between the groups, scheduling all orders the day prior.
For community members, groups or organizations that would like to contribute to Operation Meal Plan, all contributions are made through the Cobb Community Foundation and are tax deductible. Contribute here: https://bit.ly/2QNq6aB. Upon service delivery, restaurants provide an invoice so the Cobb Community Foundation can reimburse the at-unit cost.