To our Readers:
In an effort to keep our community informed during the public-health crisis, we will post local virus-related information free of charge.
If you have any crisis-related stories, please submit them to ([email protected]).
For comprehensive daily news, home delivery and online only subscriptions are available via itemlive.com.
Good Vibes in Saugus
By Elyse Carmosino | May 9, 2020
SAUGUS — Staff at Saugus Rehab and Nursing Home walked out on their lunch breaks to a welcome sight this Friday.
Waiting outside to greet them was mobile catering company Vibe Food Truck, which partnered with the facility’s parent company, TSM Healthcare, to bring free lunches to workers.
Meant to close out National Nurse Week celebrations, the home’s administrator, Josephine Ajayi, said the fun meal was a much-needed distraction for her staff, most of whom have been working long hours under massive amounts of stress since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak.
“What a time to be celebrating,” she said. “These nurses are putting themselves in the line of duty to take care of these elderly folks that need them.”
Ajayi said she’s grateful for the dedication she’s seen from the facility’s healthcare workers, adding that many nurses never hesitated to pick up extra shifts after some of their colleagues fell ill from COVID-19.
“They’re working to the bone,” she said. “I’m just so proud of this group. They look after one another and come in every day, and that means a lot to our residents.
“I just (want to give) a heartfelt thank you to the staff, both the nursing staff and all the ancillary staff who, day in and day out, come in here against all kinds of storms — whether it’s a snowstorm, rainstorm, or coronavirus storm. They show up.”
The lunch didn’t only benefit nursing home staff, however.
Because Vibe Food Truck primarily caters large events, owner Paul Zermani said that since the pandemic began, his Danvers-based business has lost thousands of dollars from cancellations.
“It was very difficult on us, economically,” he said.
To offset the lost funds, Zermani launched a campaign on social media offering a “pre-fixed” delivery menu, which ultimately caught the eye of TSM Healthcare, who then reached out to Vibe Food Truck to organize the event and set up the menu of burgers, buffalo chicken, Caesar salad, and mac and cheese.
Over the course of three days, Vibe Food Truck gave out free meals at TSM Healthcare facilities in Amesbury, Danvers, and Saugus.
“We really pride ourselves on just giving back and doing the best we can for the people,” Zermani said.
TSM marketing vice president Amitai Dagan said the company wanted to show its appreciation for healthcare workers.
“We were trying to come up with any and every idea we could to keep our employees inspired and make sure they feel our appreciation from the corporate level,” said Dagan. “They’re the ones that are in the facilities putting their lives at risk to take care of the most vulnerable population. The least we can do is just do everything we can to show our appreciation to them.
“Being able to help a local business at the same time, it was just a win-win across the board.”
Elyse Carmosino can be reached at [email protected].