Vancouver businesses continue to support hospital workers with food, masks
Posted June 2, 2020 8:39 am.
Last Updated June 2, 2020 8:43 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Local businesses that have been temporarily forced to scale back because of the COVID-19 pandemic are still finding ways to support their community.
Tera V Burgers is giving out free meals to frontline healthcare workers while Plenty — a Vancouver clothing boutique — has been sewing and donating masks to hospitals and care homes.
Abdul Muqeet took over the Tera V Burgers in Kitsilano two months ago on the day B.C. banned in-restaurant dining, but the manger says he didn’t want to let the pandemic get in the way of helping where he could.
“As a new business and first-time business owner, you want to make sure you have a strong core of values, especially at this time when people need it,” says Muqeet.
“It was important to me to help people find some normal in this world.”
The initiative started small as Tera V Burgers put out a sandwich board encouraging healthcare workers to come pick up a free lentil bowl.
Terra V Burgers in Kitsilano has been serving up free meals to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Submitted: Abdul Mugeet)
Before long, they were delivering burgers to hospitals, including St. Paul’s and Vancouver General.
“We thought everyone had to do their own part in their own way,” says Muqeet. Tera V Burgers is still offering the free lentil bowl to healthcare workers.
Free meals aren’t the only thing being donated. While clothing retailer Plenty has eight locations across Greater Vancouver, Jenna Tuazon tells NEWS 1130 that one of their technical designers, Linda Chung, personally made 700 masks.
“At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team wanted to help the local community,” says Tuazon.
The company made and donated approximately 400 reusable masks and 300 ear saver headbands to St. Paul’s Hospital, Union Gospel Mission, SUCCESS, and various clinics in the Downtown East Side. Fabric and supplies were donated by Plenty and KenDor Textiles.
“We have a lot of friends and family who work at St. Paul’s Hospital, and then working with SUCCESS was important with Linda because she actually lives really close to the Downtown Eastside and the care homes there,” adds Tuazon.
While masks are more readily available now, Tuazon says Plenty will continue to make headbands for hospital workers.
