Longmeadow’s ‘The Kitchen’ provides meals to JGS staff

April 22, 2020 | Payton North
payton@thereminder.com

LONGMEADOW – Many local restaurants have been donating not only their food but their time as well to supporting healthcare workers in any way they can. Longmeadow restaurant The Kitchen is no exception, as they partnered with Rachel’s Table to donate over 200 meals to the healthcare workers at JGS Lifecare on April 21 through the #FeedingtheFrontlines program.

Owner of The Kitchen Bobby Barkett explained that his restaurant is connected to Rachel’s Table in more ways than one. Currently, while The Kitchen is open for takeout, they are also serving as a distribution space for the signs that are popping up around Longmeadow. These signs read, for instance, “Longmeadow loves our first responder heroes,” or “Longmeadow loves our healthcare heroes.” Barkett noted that Longmeadow resident Zach Schwartz is the owner of Fusion Cross Media, a Connecticut-based printing company, which is printing the signs to support the community. The signs, Barkett said, can be purchased on Fusion Cross Media’s website, and picked up at The Kitchen. A portion of the sign sales is being donated to Rachel’s Table.

Using the funds from the signs, Rachel's Table is reaching out to area restaurants and asking them to cook meals for local first responders and frontliners. The Kitchen, Barkett said, was excited to be included in the effort.

The Kitchen delivered 189 sandwiches along with chips at 10:30 a.m. to the first shift workers in two of the locations at JGS on April 21. Later in the evening, for the second and third shift workers, the restaurant whipped up an additional 95 sandwiches.

 “We’re happy to be a part of this effort to recognize healthcare workers and their extraordinary efforts,” Barkett told Reminder Publishing. “I grew up in Longmeadow and these are my customers – folks who end up in the nursing home, these people are taking care of my customers, and a lot of those workers are my customers as well. I feel like that’s the least I can do to be a part of it.”

Barkett continued to explain that he believes it’s important to do what he can to support not only the doctors, nurses, hospital administrators and all healthcare workers, but also the people who are out in communities such as police officers, fire fighters, ambulance workers, and Department of Public Works employees.

 “They need to have that little punch in the arm, a show from the coach that they’re doing a great job. I like that we’re part of that,” he said.

Over the course of the stay at home order, Barkett said he has been “humbled” by the amount of people who came to his restaurant and purchased gift certificates. He explained that some business owners have made large purchases of gift cards to give to their employees, while others have preferred to remain anonymous and purchase gift cards for Barkett to distribute to first responders in town.

“People are buying gift cards and leaving them here and saying to me, ‘hey, if you know someone in need, someone who has lost their job…’” Barkett explained. He said he has distributed gift cards to local first responders from the anonymous donations.

He further noted that there is often the assumption that people in Longmeadow or East Longmeadow are “all rich” and “that’s not true,” he said. “Lots of people lost their jobs – some of them don’t know how they’re going to get to the other side...it’s very, very difficult.”

He stated that he feels “so lucky” that his business is still open, and that he’s “grateful” for being able to be a part of helping Rachel’s Table serve healthcare workers at JGS.

Vice President of Development and Communication at JGS Susan Halpern stated in a press release, “Our staff are so appreciative of this expression of support. They come to work each and every day to care for our community’s elders, working diligently to protect our most frail and vulnerable population and fight this invisible threat, while putting their own health on the line.  To receive a meal is a tangible expression of gratitude that lifts their spirits, while also supporting our local restaurants. On behalf of our staff we thank you!”

If readers would like to donate to Rachel’s Table directly to aid in serving frontliners meals, they can go to https://rachelstablespringfield.org/donate/. Support can also be shown through purchasing a sign from Fusion Cross Media, which can be customized to any local town. The signs can be purchased at https://www.fusioncrossmedia.com, and $2 from the purchase will be donated to the #FeedingtheFrontLines program of Rachel’s Table.

The Kitchen is located at 791 Williams St. in Longmeadow and can be reached at 754–3770.

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