BY MIKE MAY
The Wellington Community Foundation worked with the Village of Wellington and Agliolio Italian Bistro on Thursday, Aug. 20 to provide a much-needed and much-appreciated meal for all the employees at Wellington Regional Medical Center.
“This was a great example of a hometown foundation and the local village council working with a hometown restaurant to support a hometown organization,” said Tom Wenham, chair of the Wellington Community Foundation. “This is our hospital, and we appreciate their healthcare efforts in these tough times.”
This effort was conceived and completed in less than two weeks. According to Wenham, while the foundation paid for the food, the village helped coordinate the delivery of the food from Agliolio to the hospital.
“We were pleased to support this effort,” Wellington Councilman Michael Napoleone said.
On Thursday, Aug. 20, more than 600 employees at WRMC received a complimentary meal — lunch or dinner — that was prepared by the staff at Agliolio and delivered to the hospital. The meal consisted of lasagna with a tossed salad.
According to Allen Poston, Wellington Regional’s director of marketing, roughly 450 hospital employees were fed lunch, and nearly 200 enjoyed a complementary dinner.
The leadership of the hospital was very appreciative of the effort.
“We’re so thankful for all the local partners in the Village of Wellington who support our hospital,” WRMC CEO Pam Tahan said.
Tahan’s staff was also thankful for all the community support.
“This meal is a great thing. It’s a nice gesture. We appreciate it a great deal,” said Cynthia Able, who works as registrar at WRMC.
“In times like this, it’s great that we get this kind of support,” radiology technician Amy Lee added.
The efforts by the Wellington Community Foundation, the Village of Wellington and Agliolio were the latest in a string of donations by local organizations in support of the hospital’s workers, who have worked long hours in recent months, complicated by the round-the-clock concerns of COVID-19.
“We have had dozens of different organizations, clubs and foundations step up since April to provide some type of assistance and appreciation to the hospital’s employees,” said Poston, who personally distributed many of the meals to his fellow employees. “It is great to see this kind of local support.”
To learn more about the Wellington Community Foundation’s efforts to support the local community, visit www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org.
