Life in New York City has been pretty tough these days. We have been quarantined for almost 3 weeks, and the end is nowhere in sight. Everything non-essential is closed and we are walking around with masks and gloves, avoiding one another like they have the plague, because, frankly, they might. All of my catering events have been canceled, and the restaurants I work with are shuttered. Temporary mobile morgues are lining the streets. I know more people that are suddenly unemployed or furloughed, than those who still have jobs. It’s easy to get depressed with a lack of income, lack of entertainment and a complete lack of hope. Just when my reserves of patience and optimism had been almost depleted, replenishment arrived in some unexpected ways.
About a week or two ago, I launched a meal service for my community providing fresh, homecooked meals to my neighbors. I was surprised at the response, and I have a small and growing little group of people who are ordering from me regularly. I’m not raking in big bucks by any means, but I am keeping busy, generating a small income, and serving my immediate community in the process. I get excited by their orders and am grateful for their praise when they love their meal. Although I have not met any of them during my contact-free deliveries, I believe that our communications are a thread that keeps some of them connected to the world around them as they fear to venture out during this time.
Today, a friend asked me to make some meals for a team at one of the local hospitals. She got wind that her coworkers on the front lines were existing on pop tarts and cup noodles. Hardly the fuel they need to get through the endless days and nights filled with patients dying alone while their family says goodbye on an Ipad. The act of cooking them a meal and bringing it to the hospital brought me a great sense of satisfaction. If seeing the boxes of thoughtfully prepared, fresh food brought them even a fleeting moment of joy, then I am humbled to be a part of that. As for my friend who gifted them this meal anonymously and prides herself on being a Grinch, I have to say she is failing at that role miserably.
But here is where the real magic took place… I posted a photo of the meal on my social media channels and the positive comments started rolling in. Someone from out of town immediately contacted me to offer a generous donation to provide more meals for the front line workers. I reached out for contacts at other hospitals and was flooded with people connecting me to other people who worked in local hospitals. I am getting messages from friends of friend’s friends, who came together to make this happen. I am beyond touched by the generosity of people who are offering to subsidize the feeding of total strangers, and those across the country making connections to help. I hope I can continue to pay it forward and show how much our medical professionals mean to us in a dire time. If you would like to subsidize an ER or ICU group, please email me at indigojonesnyc@gmail.com. I am not sure of the logistics yet, but I am quickly getting up to speed as to how to make this movement grow.
The bright light in these dark times?
We may be physically distancing right now, but we are not social distancing. In fact, we are coming together in ways I never thought possible, and that is filling my heart and soul with the hope that we can get through this together.
UPDATE: We have a Go Fund Me page! Between that and private donations we have surpassed $3000 and the number is going up by the hour. THANK YOU!
Indigo jones 