Protection For Our Frontline Heroes

By: Valerie Jacklin, Research & Analytics, Table to Table

When the COVID-19 hit, the safety of our team became a top priority.  Like many others, we learned that there would be a delay in receiving the personal protective equipment we ordered which would provide some protection, assurance and comfort for our drivers whose days included many daily stops to pick up and deliver fresh food.

Even without PPE in hand and the growing uncertainty about the virus, this team was still committed to their routes.  However, in light of the emerging knowledge about the virus, we knew that this would be unsafe.

At the same time, I was frustrated with trying to find ways to help those outside from inside, so as a novice quilter with a pile of fabric, I researched patterns and learned to make masks with HEPA filters sewn in.  I wanted to provide some protection for our drivers who braved this new world each and every day until the ones we ordered finally showed up.

David Porra, Carlos Alvarez, Aaron Breznick, Edgar Brieva, Louis Diaz, Archie McNair and Carlos Patino; they are our frontline heroes here at Table to Table and I am so grateful to them and what they do each day.  They not only keep us on the road, but they continue to be as relentless as always, ensuring access to those who struggle to find fresh, healthy food each day.