Last March Covid19 restrictions were enacted in our state. Hospitals, businesses, and other public areas were restricted to traffic and use. My work was no exception. Visitation was restricted severely. Staff that could work from a remote location were moved home. Patients stayed in their rooms without support persons or family members. Video visitation was utilized. There were some exceptions, of course, for minors and end of life care, and other situations. But on the whole, we were restricted.
At the same time supplies began to come in short supply all over the country. Grocery items, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, other items, all hard to come by. Healthcare staff were spending long hours at work and then having to face long hours hunting for items their household needed just to get by. My husband is disabled. Our youngest was too young to drive. That meant grocery shopping fell to me. I was not relishing it.
The first trip I took out to resupply our house our youngest went with me. She is slender and quick. In a crowded store it was helpful to send her to other aisles for things. I had one day off. I wanted to maximize my time off. We stood at the cool case housing bacon and sausage and for a moment just observed the franticness of our fellow shoppers. Neither of us had ever seen anything like it. It was surreal.
We got what we could, most of what we needed, and headed home. We made do, most did I think. On my next day off/grocery day I had heard meats were hard to find. I posted on a local Facebook group asking what grocery stores had meats available. I mentioned I was a healthcare worker trying to again resupply on my day off. Let me tell you about our community! People I did not now and would likely never meet shared what they knew, several offered to bring me groceries so I could rest, and offered assistance in other ways. And I hadn't even asked for any of that! I was so appreciative. It was very touching.
A dear friend that lived close to us also saw my post. She is a go getter, a jump in a doer. She simply posted, "I'm on my way," and left it at that. True to her word, not 30 minutes later she was at our door with a full trunk of foodstuffs and other household items we might need, including beer. "My boyfriend doesn't drink it" she shrugged. We were so incredibly grateful. She had included ziploc bags and tinfoil and other items you would pick up at a store but couldn't eat. And yes, she even shared some toilet paper. It was well over $100 worth of items. I begged her to let us pay her. She insisted all she wanted was a pound or so of ground beef if I happened to find it. I was happy to do that. We went to a locally owned and operated grocery store recommended on our community group and they had meat. (Compton's Foodland at 2808 Old Smith Springs Rd, Nashville, TN 37217 if you were wondering.) Our youngest and I were able to run in, grab the meats we needed, and run out home to rest. Stopping, of course, by her house on the way to drop off her ground beef we had found.
Shortly after all this happened an announcement was made at work. Our cafeteria would begin carrying some grocery items, including toilet paper. The intent was to help staff not have to make extra trips on their way home to maximize rest time and minimize more exposure chances. It was a huge help. And it was done, my husband and I were sure, at a loss to the company. It was a service to their staff to try to keep them safe. And we were grateful.
Selections included some fresh fruit and vegetables, pantry staples, toilet paper, and breads.
Shortly after this was instituted I saw the cafeteria manager on a trip downstairs. I stopped and spoke with him for a few minutes, telling him how much I appreciated their doing this for us. He said they were happy to do so, anything to help keep us rested and away from additional exposure. I wanted to make sure they received positive feedback so in two months they wouldn't be saying, "Well, no one liked it so we will discontinue it."
Milk and eggs were also offered, and appreciated.
A few weeks later I saw our CEO walking through the cafeteria on his way to a meeting. I reached out and asked if I could talk to him for a moment. I love him so much. Every interaction I have had with him has seemed genuine and thoughtful. He stopped walking, turned to me, completely, and gave me his full attention. I told him how much I appreciated the effort and cost involved to stock grocery items for us as my husband was disabled and my child still at home too young to drive. I told him what a relief it was to be able to just grab a gallon of milk on my way out to the parking garage. He smiled, nodded, and said he was happy it was a help and his goal is to take care of his people. He has recently been promoted to a higher position, still over our hospitals but over an even broader scope. We have a new CEO that he states he has every confidence in. I believe him, and I only want the best for him.
All this to say, the pandemic brought out the worst in many, but it also brought out the best in many. This service my work provided was one of the ways of showing our best. In what ways did you see the best in your life? Fill me in! Share the good news!
Be well, y'all!