Gary Sinise Foundation Donates 20,000 Meals to VA Hospital Staff for Coronavirus Relief

The Gary Sinise Foundation, founded by actor and avid supporter of U.S. military veterans and their families Gary Sinise, has donated 20,000 meals to VA hospitals to help the coronavirus recovery efforts.

“Donations like this mean a lot to our VA staff as they are on the front lines of caring for our nation’s veterans every day,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a press release. “We are very appreciative of this donation during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The VA noted that it would distribute the food donations among 80 VA facilities.

The @DeptVetAffairs announced today that the Gary Sinise Foundation has committed to providing up to 20,000 meals to 80 VA medical facilities across the nation in the coming weeks. Click to read the official press release. https://t.co/rP0FufXAGX pic.twitter.com/RGihZJLXXb

— GarySiniseFoundation (@GarySiniseFound) May 27, 2020

“The donated meals will come from restaurants near these facilities, stimulating local economies and helping communities,” said Elizabeth Fields, Chief Operating Officer of the Gary Sinise Foundation. “Up to 250 meals will be donated to each facility depending on size and need.”

The Gary Sinise Foundation Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service has mounted relief efforts since April by providing PPEs and decontamination equipment to hospitals across the country.

“We developed a campaign to address COVID-19 called our Emergency COVID-19 Combat Service,” the actor said last month. “We’re supporting first responders, frontline workers, health care workers, gold star families; you name it. Everybody’s been impacted by having to stay home from work or go to work because they’re a first responder, and they’re needed out there, so we’re trying to make a difference.”

Sinise also recently donated PPEs to the San Diego Police Department. Sinese gave about 500 face shields and a shipment of hand sanitizer to the department.

“We’re just so happy that an organization like the Gary Sinise Foundation is willing to make a donation such as this to the San Diego Police Department,” said San Diego Police Lt. Shawn Takeuchi.

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