Feed Our Medics: Helping Our Healthcare Heroes

By: Ally Barnes

Two years of COVID-19 running rampant and it feels like a marathon that someone keeps moving the finish line for, so it will come as no surprise if your experience of the pandemic has left you feeling angry, anxious, or exhausted.

But there is light – along the way we’ve seen communities rally and care for each other in practical ways, reminding us we’ll be OK.

Two of the hardest hit industries has been the hospitality and health sectors.

Joeline Hackman is the co-founder of Feed Our Medics, a charity that uses donations to buy meals from cafes that are financially struggling and provide them to medics – nurses, paramedics, and doctors – in need of a boost.

Joeline said their aim is to provide a lift in morale to people who are taking personal risk to treat and comfort COVID-19 patients, while supporting local businesses doing it tough.

Feed Our Medics aim to provide a lift in morale to people who are taking personal risk to treat and comfort COVID-19 patients and support local businesses.

“During the first lockdown in 2020, some of my nursing friends were scared to eat the food incase it was infected with COVID, and all the supermarket shelves were empty by the time they got around to doing their own shopping,” Joeline said.

“I spoke with other friends who were talking about their cafes and restaurants struggling because people were staying home and there were a lot more restrictions. So it seemed like a natural fit to help both sectors, keeping cafes in business and helping medics.”

She explained that they’ve seen a lot of donations when people’s loved ones have caught COVID and they see what’s happening behind the scenes at the hospital and just how hard the nurses have been working, and how they provide care.

“At the moment, one in five nurses are off sick,” Joeline said.

“Their workload used to be managing one nurse to three patients. But it’s now about one nurse to 11 patients. They’re at breaking point,” – Feed Our Medics Joeline Hackman

“Their workload used to be managing one nurse to three patients. But it’s now about one nurse to 11 patients. They’re at breaking point. They are being asked to come back to the hospital, even if someone in their household has COVID, or if they’re still recovering themselves.”