Even though the Rotary Club of Columbus isn't meeting in person, the great work of Rotary continues. Having both in person and virtual meetings for a few months, the Board decided that because with case counts and hospital occupancy rates are still much higher in January than where they were in December, the club would suspend the in person meetings. It was also decided to give the meals that we would have had at the Trade Center( where we would normally meet) to those in the Health Care community and frontline workers in our community battle against COVID-19. This step would also benefit the trade Center by providing work for their food services team, a win-win!

Spectra Food Services (the catering team working in the Columbus Trade Center) made 90 boxed lunches and bottles of water for delivery one Friday to St .Francis Hospital and stayed to help Rotarians load the meals and water onto Hospital Trolleys as the staff came down from the wards. Tricia Jeffcoat, Director of Signature Service, arranged to have department and unit heads of the COVID wards and support services to receive lunches for their teams. It was clear they were very thankful for this token of our appreciation for the great job they are doing, illustrated by the picture they sent to us in thanks. You can get a sense of what it was like being there by watching the video.

Those watching were asking about Rotary and it was a great opportunity to show service above self. There was a repeat performance on the following Tuesday at Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital when 90 boxed lunches and bottles of water were brought again by our wonderful culinary team and Rotarians to help the department and unit heads from COVID wards collect the meals for their teams. Their hospital photographer also took the action team photograph for us. We received a very nice thank you email from their Leadership teams the next day as they had reviewed it on their conference call together.

Many thanks to Christina Clifton for organizing this at Piedmont. Amongst our thanks from all concerned, here is one from the Trade Center: 'Thank you so much for letting the Trade Center be a small part of giving back to the healthcare community! It means the world to us! Thank you for being champions of service!!!," Hayley Tillery.

These are our first two weeks of community healthcare meals of gratitude, there will be more to come.