Two Marietta residents have launched a campaign to make sure the healthcare workers at WellStar Kennestone Hospital have less to worry about during the coronavirus pandemic.
Danielle Musolf and Ashley Akopov have launched the "Caring for Kennestone" GoFundMe campaign to provide meals for healthcare workers at the Marietta hospital. Money donated to the fund will be used to pay for meals prepared and delivered by local restaurants. The initiative has already raised more than half of its $30,000 goal, according to the fundraising website.
Musolf, who also runs the Cobb Moms Helping Cobb Moms Facebook group, said the purpose is to feed those working in the ER and ICU, and other departments such as environmental services, laboratories and the pharmacy.
Restaurants serving meals this week include The Lunch Basket, Mellow Mushroom, The Nest and The Manna House Cafe. Musolf said she expects restaurants will feed about 1,550 employees this week. Musolf said the fundraiser not only provides food to stressed medical professionals, but also helps restaurants that have had to drastically alter operations due to COVID-19.
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“We can give restaurants some business they are not getting and give people a chance to feel like they are contributing,” she said.
Akopov, whose husband Dr. Val Akopov is a physician and vice president and chief of hospital medicine at WellStar Health System, said the outpouring from the community has been overwhelming.
“The Bible says that God loves the cheerful giver, and this community over and over again gets an immense amount of joy out of giving,” she said.
A spokesperson with WellStar said support from the community, including individuals who have donated masks, “has touched our hearts.”
“The recent campaign orchestrated by Mariettans to support local restaurants and Wellstar Kennestone Hospital team members is a wonderful and generous initiative that demonstrates the power of community in times of need,” a WellStar spokesperson said. “We are grateful.”
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To support employees throughout the pandemic, WellStar is continuing to pay quarantined team members, has established a COVID-19 Caregiver & Workforce Helpline and implemented a crisis care program that helps employees with child, elder and pet care.
Akopov and Musolf said they believe their campaign has caught on because residents who are sheltering in place want to feel like they are doing something to help curtail the tide of the pandemic.
“It feels good to do something good when you can’t control anything,” Musolf said. “It’s also showing appreciation for people who are truly sacrificing their health and potentially their lives to treat others.”
You can donate to the campaign by visiting GoFundMe.com. Once there, search for 'Caring for Kennestone' to find the campaign. You can also donate personal protective equipment vital to fighting the pandemic by emailing give@wellstar.org.
You can contribute to the Caring for Kennestone gofundme campaign by clicking here.
