LoPorto’s Restaurant and Catering and The Franklin Hospitality Group donated meals to more than 700 employees of St. Peter’s Health Partners in celebration of Passover and Easter weekend.

Carmelo LoPorto, owner of LoPorto’s Restaurant and Catering, wanted to do something to help the front line health care workers battling the COVID-19 pandemic, so he reached out to Samaritan Hospital. He and his team prepared 350 dinners, ensuring that every employee working on Friday evening received a delicious meal.

LoPorto said, “We are all moved by the dedicated staff of our hospitals especially our neighbor, Samaritan Hospital. We are grateful for the care they provide, especially now. We look forward to when our friends can return to our establishment. Until then, we are happy to bring some nutrition and a smile to the hospital’s employees.”

Every Sunday for the past three weeks, Michael Cocca, President of the Franklin Hospitality Group, and his team have been preparing 250 meals for partners in the community. Cocca too, wanted to support the health care workers saying, “This is our community, these are our people. Our health care workers are going above and beyond to answer their call of duty. Everyone at Franklin Hospitality Group wanted to express their deepest gratitude and show how much we appreciate their dedication. The best way we could do that was to prepare a delicious meal for their holiday weekend. St. Peter’s Hospital has been there for my family and we are proud to be there for them during these challenging times.”

Cocca and his team prepared 400 individual dinners for the employees of St. Peter’s Hospital working on Easter Saturday.

Shannon Galuski, executive director of St. Peter’s Hospital Foundation said, “Our community is infused with generosity. During these most difficult days, thoughtfulness is ever-present and generous acts have only increased. We remain grateful to the many who have expressed their support of St. Peter’s Health Partners through their acts of kindness. We are extremely grateful to Franklin Hospitality Group and LoPorto’s for continuing to be a partner, a friend and an inspiration.”