HOUSTON — When the coronavirus reached the Greater Houston area, Daniel Kebort wanted to help in some meaningful way.
Kebort, the owner of Uptown Catering in Houston, had watched his business slow as the need for corporate catering diminished as the virus spread. Rather than shut down completely, he and his wife came up with an idea: #CaterTheFrontLine, a way to support the frontline health care workers who are working around the clock in the battle against COVID-19.
The idea is simple: With the help of the community, donate hot, fresh meals to feed emergency room staff across Greater Houston.
“This provides a unique connection to the heroes we may never meet, but want to show our unending support and gratitude for the courage they are exemplifying during this crisis,” Kebort said.
Meals include breakfast tacos, barbecue sliders, chicken marsala and a pineapple pico salmon filet. Kebort said people can purchase individual meals for $15, but there are also options to buy group meals, which feed 25 people on a shift, or a full week’s worth of meals.
All meals come with a special note of praise and thanks, too. One recent delivery included a note that read, “Thank you for being on the frontline so that we can be safe at home.”
“I think everyone understands the risk (all health care workers) are taking, and there’s this desire to connect with these people and support them,” Kebort said. “But it’s a struggle because we’re all stuck at home—can’t go anywhere, can’t do anything. So one of the ways we can help with that is to provide words of encouragement and a hot meal.”
Kebort said he works with local hospitals, including Harris County Public Health, to determine when there’s a need for emergency room staff to be fed and set up a time for deliveries. He said the response has been overwhelmingly positive by doctors and nurses who might not otherwise get a hot meal during their shift.
Kebort is no stranger to helping during crises. When Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005 and thousands of evacuees came to Houston, Kebort volunteered at the George R. Brown Convention Center. He said his first night there he noticed how hollow and empty the atmosphere felt, so the next night he returned with a stereo and began playing creole music on a loading dock that had people smiling and dancing.
So far, Uptown Catering has delivered 175 meals in the first week. Kebort hopes to feed even more health care workers as the COVID-19 crisis continues.
“We want everyone to have the opportunity to connect and share their support and gratitude for our health care heroes,” he said.