Members of the Cardinal O'Boyle Assembly #386 Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree and the Maryknights Auxiliary of Father Rosensteel Council #2169 Knights of Columbus have raised $1,400 to purchase food that a local business is making and providing to nurses, doctors and other first responders in hospitals fighting COVID-19 in Montgomery County, Maryland.
“We're a hands-on organization that goes out to help people, but now that we are sheltering in place, we tried to figure out what to do, so we are feeding the men and women working on the front lines in our hospitals,” said Russell R. Sutton Jr., a fourth degree member of the Knights of Columbus who serves as a district warden for the Knights' Maryland State Council and as a comptroller for the Cardinal O’Boyle Assembly.
Sutton said the Knights of Columbus' financial contributions are supporting the effort of the 4 Corners Pub in Silver Spring to prepare and deliver the food. Noting that the pub is “a local small business,” Sutton said “it is a win-win situation for both the first responders working so hard to keep us safe and healthy and to support local small business in these unprecedented times.”
The Knights originally had a goal of raising $1,000 that would feed nearly 380 front-line workers. Sutton said that since collections surpassed that goal, “we anticipate the number of meals (served) will be around 450.”
Food was delivered April 21 to staff at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda and April 22 to staff at the Adventist HealthCare White Oak Medical Center. Another food delivery is scheduled for May 14 at the MedStar Montgomery Medical Center in Olney. Because access to the medical facilities is limited, the food is delivered to the hospital doors and staff bring it in to serve the first responders.
“Our membership's drive to help people is overwhelming, “Sutton said. “We are here to help and support our community.”
Members of the Knights' Rosensteel Council plan to make 150 meals on April 24 and deliver them to a coordinator at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring, where they will be given to care workers in designated departments.
