Fresh and Tasty Blog

Kitchen Angels was founded on the belief that neighbors helping neighbors is the best way to keep a community strong. As we learn more about COVID-19 and the 2019 novel coronavirus, we know that the best way to help each other is to stay calm and be thoughtful, vigilant and compassionate. 

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Responding to a crisis such as the pandemic we’re living through is part of Kitchen Angels’ DNA. We were born out of a crisis – the AIDS epidemic.  Nevertheless, this is something none of us was prepared for.

And yet, the kindness and adaptability of our volunteers, staff and Board have been nothing short of extraordinary. Each day seems to bring a new challenge for us to figure out, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.

We cancelled our signature fundraising event, Angels Dine Out, and are asking our community to support the restaurants that have always supported us by ordering take-out on April 23. We also canceled Table 2-3-1 and closed our resale store, KITCHENALITY, for the time being.

Stephen Colbert said in a recent podcast, “This is one great nation, united by our belief in, and our need for, each other and reinforced by my belief that the American people, like all people, are essentially good and always want to know how to do the right thing.”  The Kitchen Angels family certainly exemplifies that sentiment.

We will be different when this is over.  The poet and artist Holly L. Thomas writes, “as we focus on finding solutions, what will ultimately matter – the real life skills – will come from how we work them out together.”    

Your financial support for Kitchen Angels is now more important than ever. Please continue to be there for us so that we can continue to be there for our clients. Together, we’re stronger than any pandemic.

In gratitude,
Tony

Kitchen Angels was founded on the belief that neighbors helping neighbors is the best way to keep a community strong. As we learn more about COVID-19 and the 2019 novel coronavirus, we know that the best way to help each other is to stay calm and be thoughtful, vigilant and compassionate. 

See below for a short video that gives useful information on the virus:

Now, here’s what we are asking from you to make sure our staff, volunteers, and clients remain healthy and safe. 

If you don’t feel well, stay home. From what we know, many of the initial symptoms of COVID-19 can seem like a mild cold or seasonal allergy symptoms. If you think you may have a cold, or think you have allergies and aren’t sure, stay home. 

If you’re caring for someone who isn’t well, stay home. Even if you feel fine, you risk spreading the virus. You may also put the person for whom you’re caring at risk if they’re not currently sick with COVID-19. Again, caution and vigilance are key.

If you think you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19, stay home. Again, even if you feel fine, you risk spreading the virus. Until there’s a vaccine, the best thing you can do is avoid the possibility of spreading the virus.  

Let Lauren know if you won’t be coming in for your shift.

The basic kitchen and food handling safety efforts we always practice at Kitchen Angels are what the CDC recommends to avoid COVID-19:

• Wash your hands often with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds;
• Don’t touch your hands to your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth;
• Sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow and wash your hands afterwards; and
• Wipe down surfaces such as counters, light switches and door handles with sanitizer.

The infectious disease specialists at CHRISTUS St. Vincent Hospital are working with the hospital’s staff to make sure they can properly care for folks who might develop COVID-19. Unless you develop symptoms that put you in the high-risk category for complications, they’re asking that you stay at home, treat the symptoms, and self-quarantine. 

The New Mexico Department of Health has a site with the latest information on COVID-19 activity and up-to-date treatment information, as well as links to other sites including the US Centers for Disease Control and Surveillance. In addition, here is another short video from the World Health Organization that offers some easy to understand information on COVID-19.
Thank you for your vigilance. We want you to stay safe, healthy and informed.

Kitchen Angels wants you to stay as healthy as possible.  This is especially important as our community prepares for the possible spread of COVID-19, a respiratory illness caused by something called a novel corona virus.  The virus was first detected in China this past December.  Right now, there is no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.

We’ve always taken our kitchen practices very seriously to make sure our clients receive the freshest, safest and most nutritious meals possible.  Right now, we’re being even more vigilant to make sure you continue to receive your meals regularly and on time.

 Here’s what you can do to help us make sure that happens:

• If you’re worried about the possibility of exposure to the virus, when your delivery driver arrives, you can ask them to leave your meal at your door.  It’s important you verbally acknowledge that you are home because drivers cannot leave meals unattended.  As long as they know you’re home, it’ll be OK.  If you let Janette know you’ll be doing this, she’ll tell your delivery driver.
• Call Jeanette and let her know if you DO NOT HAVE freezer capacity and can keep frozen meals.  We may need to shift to delivering more frozen meals, depending on how things develop. 

Kitchen Angels has always been there for you and we intend to keep that promise. 

If you want more information about the virus or COVID-19, the New Mexico Department of Health has a site with the latest information on COVID-19 activity and up-to-date treatment information, as well as links to other sites including the US Centers for Disease Control and Surveillance.  In addition, here is a short video from the World Health Organization that offers some easy to understand information on COVID-19.