As Covid-19 heavily impacts people around the world, health-workers are taking one of the hardest hits during the pandemic; fortunately, individuals and groups in the San Diego community have found ways to give back to those who are risking their lives on the front line during this pandemic. 

   According to a local news station, small businesses and restaurants have provided meals for health workers and responders or have offered special deals on food only available for them. The San Diego Dining Group, which operates several restaurants in San Diego, helps feed workers during this time. “The San Diego Dining Group is feeding healthcare workers and first responders for free with community kitchens during the pandemic,” stated ABC 10 News. ABC 10 News also shared that Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and Circle K all offer free items, like coffee and donuts, to health-workers who show a valid employer ID (10news.com).

   UC High Varsity Field Hockey Coach Amber Zimmerman is a nurse on the COVID-19 ICU floor at Jacobs Medical Center at UCSD. UC High’s Field Hockey Program had decided to help support Zimmerman and her colleagues. From donations within the field hockey program, they were able to provide a night’s dinner and needed materials to Zimmerman and her team. Junior Riley Torgeson shared, “It’s important to support our medical workers during a time like this because they are putting their lives on the line for us and many of them aren’t able to go home to their families and are working around the clock. By supporting them with food and other important items, it can help them with their jobs and lift their spirits.” 

   The San Diego Gulls Foundation has also been able to help serve the community and its healthcare workers during this pandemic. The official San Diego Gulls website stated, “The Gulls Foundation and the team’s players themselves provided 775 individual meals from five local restaurants to five San Diego hospitals as a small token of appreciation to local doctors, nurses and hospital personnel caring for the community amidst the coronavirus.” The Gulls shared that lots of planning went into this project which helped several hospitals across San Diego (sandiegogulls.com).

   The Los Angeles Times shared that about two dozen pilots in private planes flew over San Diego as a salute to healthcare workers on Friday, April 24. “The flyover was organized by Phil Kendro, a Marine veteran and pilot who has worked on full-scale aeronautical events including the Miramar Air Show,” stated a reporter for the Los Angeles Times (latimes.com). 

   According to a local news station, the nationwide group “RV’s 4 MD’s,” which connects medical workers to owners of unused campers and RV’s, has helped several San Diego workers. “RVS 4 MDS started in Texas and spread across the country with more than 24,000 members. It allows recreational vehicle owners to loan their trailer for free to front-line workers fighting the coronavirus,” shared CBS 8. In doing this, medical-workers who have the most exposure to the virus have a place to stay so they don’t risk spreading the virus into their homes (cbs8.com).