Jul 2, 2020 Donors are Heroes, Too: RWJUH Somerset

The outpouring of support from our community during the COVID-19 pandemic has been simply incredible. This support came to Somerset Health Care Foundation in many forms, including monetary gifts, donated meals, supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), hand-sewn masks, mask extenders, shoes and Crocs, care packages, parades, and inspirational cards and signs.

All of us at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset are so appreciative of your generosity. It helped lift our spirits and renewed our strength. Thank you fr om the bottom of our hearts!

Front Line Appreciation Group

Shawn Temple of the Front-Line Appreciation Group (FLAG) in Somerville (right) delivered meals to hospital staff. George Jonkoski, director, Food & Nutrition (second from left) managed meal distribution.

Meal donations nourished our bodies and souls

It began with a few pizzas sent for our nursing staff. But soon it became a steady delivery of breakfasts, lunches and dinners, seven days a week for more than two months. In all, we received more than $350,000 in in-kind food donations, from Italian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese and Indian dinners to subs, sandwiches, salads, donuts, pastries and breakfast sandwiches. Many of the meal donations were coordinated by the Front-Line Appreciation Group (FLAG) in Somerville, led by Shawn Temple, which raised funds to purchase meals from local restaurants and delivered them to the hospital. One of our teen volunteers, Navleen Boparai, and her brother Raj, both students at Hillsborough High School, also started a “Meals for Heroes” initiative. The Hillsborough Junior Raiders, the Hardwood Club, Manville Pizza and countless other individuals, schools, businesses, local restaurants, first responders and Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops also donated meals for our staff. In addition, the Downtown Somerville Alliance donated individual gift cards from Somerville restauranteurs to be distributed to our front-line team.

Parades of thanks

Parades of thanks

The Somerville Elks coordinated a heartwarming “Heroes Procession of Thanks.” On April 3, 2020, a caravan of more than 250 cars drove around Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset with signs of support and thanks for our staff. They also presented our staff with more than $4,000 in gift cards and lottery tickets. Special thanks to the event organizers, Kayla Fraunheim, Pierce Fraunheim, Jim Daly, Brooke Rogers and Jim McGrady. In addition, many thanks to Paul Hubert, chairman, Somerset Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees, and John Ament, member, Somerset Health Care Foundation Board of Trustees, for their support. State Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman also participated in the caravan. In May, Laurel Circle retirement community in Bridgewater and the Manville Chapter of the Latin American Motorcycle Association showed their support while driving past the hospital.

Emergency Department

Marc Milano, MD, medical director of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset’s Emergency Department, fourth from right, with Emergency Department staff on Crazy Pants Day.

Donation of crazy pants lifted spirits

A donation of colorful yoga pants by Gwen Stanton, LuLaRoe Fashion Retailer with Gwen’s Amethyst Boutique, sparked a #pantsthevirus movement at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset. Marc Milano, MD, medical director of the Emergency Department, took a few of the pants with crazy patterns and began wearing them to the hospital each day. After seeing how the pants brought smiles to everyone’s faces, he continued to wear “crazy pants” every day throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to boost employee morale. Staff throughout the hospital joined him in wearing crazy pants on Spirit Day.

Children’s Specialized Hospital

Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH)

The Long Term Care team of CSH in Mountainside thanks the Front Line Appreciation Group (FLAG) for a donation of breakfast sandwiches.

Hionis Greenhouses

From left to right, Somerset County Freeholder Brian Gallagher, Tony Cava, president and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, State Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman and Tim Hionis of Hionis Greenhouses.

Spring flowers brightened our days

Hionis Greenhouses in Readington Township donated more than 2,000 spring flowers that were distributed to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset employees Easter weekend. The donation was facilitated by State Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman.

Supply donations

Angela Lee (front, left), patient navigator for the hospital’s Chinese Medical Program, with a donation of 3,000 masks from the Buddhist Light International Association N.J. Chapter, whose president, Paul Tong, is standing on the right.

Supply donations filled critical needs

Donations of supplies, including masks, face shields, hand sanitizer and ventilators, helped us safely care for our patients with COVID-19 and prevent the spread of the virus. We’re grateful to the many individuals, businesses and partners in the Indian and Chinese communities who generously donated more than $50,000 in critical supplies. In addition, we received supplies from medical staff members, including Charles Accurso, MD, Michael Rodricks, MD, and Rachana Kulkarni, MD.

thank-you cards

Thank-you cards brought smiles

We received hundreds of thank-you cards and signs from schools, Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops and individuals throughout our community, which we displayed all around the hospital.

You can still help our health care heroes! Visit www.rwjbh.org/give.