Workers at a Chick-fil-A in Washington state met a tangible need over the weekend, stepping in to provide 1,000 meals on Saturday to a hospital whose medical personnel are battling the unfolding coronavirus pandemic.
Washington was ground zero for the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States. There have been more than 900 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the state and at least 50 people have died of the disease.
In a Facebook post, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center thanked the owner of the local Chick-fil-A restaurant and his staff for providing the hospital employees with meals.
“We are so grateful to John Dombroski and his team at Chick-fil-A Cascade Park in Vancouver for delivering and serving 1,000 meals to our hard-working caregivers today,” read a statement from the hospital. “Your kindness in a tough time is appreciated more than you can know.”
In response, the Chick-fil-A location released a statement saying they were “truly honored to partner with PeaceHealth Southwest to serve their fantastic team.”
The act of goodwill came just days before Chick-fil-A released a new corporate policy, announcing it would close all of its dining rooms across the country, accepting only mobile and drive-through orders until further notice.
In Washington specifically, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) ordered a closure Monday of all restaurants, bars, and entertainment and recreational facilities in an effort to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
“These are very difficult decisions,” he said, “but hours count here and very strong measures are necessary to slow the spread of the virus. I know there will be significant economic impacts to all our communities and we are looking at steps to help address those challenges.”