Coronavirus: BBQ meals for 1st responders, protective masks and more needed

Tri-City residents and businesses are stepping up to help those on the front line in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and families who need help as schools and businesses close.

Here are some ways you can help:

Pay It Forward

After people started to ask Porter’s Real Barbecue in the Tri-Cities if they could “pay it forward” by buying extra meals for first responders and health care workers, Porter’s has made the program formal.

Anyone can buy a $12 meal that will be given to first responders and medical workers.

It already has received contributions for 309 meals.

On Wednesday it delivered 50 meals to the Richland Police Department and 50 meals that were distributed among the four Richland fire stations.

Thursday it delivered 75 meals to the staff at Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco and 15 meals to the respiratory therapy team at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

If you’d like to place a “pay it forward” order, call Linda at 509-942-9590, ext. 706, or message the restaurant on its Facebook page with the number of meals to donate and an email address for an invoice.

Customers also can leave suggestions for places for meals to be delivered, including contact information.

Help for families

United Way of Benton and Franklin Counties is collecting donations that will be used to help Tri-Cities families affected by school and business closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donations may be made at give.uwbfco.org/givenow.

Money will be distributed through local nonprofits that now are stretching their resources to meet the increased community demand for food and childcare during this emergency.

“Many nonprofits are dipping into their savings to meet this need,” said LoAnn Ayers, president of the local United Way.

The new fund set up by United Way will support organizations that do not have the capacity to do their own additional fundraising.

“Your donation will quickly get money to these local nonprofits so they can continue to respond during this crisis,” Ayers said.

Nonprofits can apply for the funds raised starting March 26. Call 509-783-4102.

Respirators wanted

O’Brien Construction Co. of Kennewick is holding a donation drive for N95 respirators that are in short supply to protect health care workers and first responders from the novel coronavirus.

Similar N95 respirators, a type of face mask molded to form a seal around the nose and mouth, are commonly used in construction jobs and health care settings.

On Tuesday the White House called on construction companies to donate their respirator masks to hospitals and other organizations whose employees need protection as they help infected patients.

O’Brien Construction will be collecting N95 respirators for local donation through March 27 at its office at 501 N. Quay St., Suite C-101.

The company or person who donates the most respirators will be awarded a guided fishing trip for up to six people.

Supplies needed

The Tri-City Development Council and the Tri-Cities Chinese Alliance Church are each launching drives for items that are already in critically short supply or may be soon at the three Tri-Cities hospitals.

Supplies the TRIDEC drive is gathering include: Disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer, gloves, diapers, baby wipes, surgical masks and N95 respirators, PAPR hoods, face shields and goggles, home use oximeters and thermometers.

Contact TRIDEC at tridec@tridec.org if you have these items to donate, and it will get a message to the appropriate people.

Medical supplies also can be dropped off at Tri-Cities Chinese Alliance Church, 2004 George Washington Way, Richland, from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday and next.

The church, with Tri-Cities Chinese American Association and Inland Pacific Northwest Christian Medical and Dental Associations, is collecting masks, protective suits, gloves, disinfectant sprays, hand sanitizers and more for Tri-Cities area hospitals.

This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 2:27 PM.