Coronavirus News: Operation Feed Brooklyn donates meals to local health care workers during COVID-19 crisis

Lucy Yang Image
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Group feeds Brooklyn health care heroes whose cafeterias closed
Lucy Yang has more on the group helping to feed health care heroes in Brooklyn.

BROOKLYN, New York (WABC) -- A group called Operation Feed Brooklyn is coming to the rescue to help feed local hospital workers whose cafeterias have been shut down.

Michelle Zassenhaus lost her consulting business during the coronavirus pandemic, but not her talent for problem solving.

She saw hospital workers overstretched and restaurants drowning. So she put the two together.

Thanks to generous donations, more than 3,500 meals and countless cups of coffee have been delivered to overworked health care heroes in Brooklyn. The other silver lining is struggling restaurants are getting a lifeline.

Alessandro Biggi is the co-owner of Avocaderia, where every healthy bowl and smoothie is anchored in a fresh avocado.

He had to shut down in the crisis. But on Tuesday, he was asked to make 100 meals for Maimonides Hospital and he happily re-opened his kitchen. His staff was thrilled to get a few hours of pay again.

Other restaurants in Industry City are also being given a chance to do what they do best.

Zassenhaus has collected $50,000 so far, and she says every penny goes to local restaurants to feed these local hospitals.

Her website is called OperationFeedBrooklyn.com.

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