One restaurant owner was concerned about senior citizens amid the outbreak of COVID-19 and wanted to help.
“We are giving free meals to senior citizens,” said Brittany Tyler, owner of The Dugout Diner. “We haven’t had a whole lot of people doing anything for the senior citizens.”
Tyler said the idea came about when she and her husband realized that one of the most vulnerable populations didn’t have many avenues of support.
Owensboro’s Dugout Diner offering free lunches to seniors. pic.twitter.com/vLhhZkuKwi
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“We just noticed that the kids had a resource, but it seems with this COVID-19 that it’s affecting the seniors more so than others,” Tyler said. “That’s who we were trying to target so that they didn’t have to get out of the community.”
The couple took to Facebook to get the word out about offering free lunches to seniors in need.
Volunteers from the diner have been delivering lunches to the doorsteps of hundreds of homes this week. Tyler said more than 1,000 lunches have been given out.
One of the dedicated volunteers, Jennifer Withers, is a close friend of Tyler.
“Honestly, I think it’s the perfect way to give back to this community right now,” Withers said. “I know everybody is struggling so much.”
The diner is giving out lunches to seniors Monday through Friday. Withers said she delivers meals for about three hours a day with help from other volunteers.
“Honestly, it brightens my day to be able to see them through the door,” she said. “They’re smiling through the door whenever you deliver their lunch. It’s freaking adorable.”
Tyler said seniors must call in every day so they can be put on the list. She said the diner’s goal has been to give 200 meals every day, which means she also answers 200 calls a day.
“These are coming out of my and my husband’s pockets,” Tyler said. “We’re going to do this for as long as possible.”
Seniors looking for help can call Tyler at 270-570-0002.
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