MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Memphians continue to show they have not only momentum but heart. As Local 24 News Weeknight Anchor Katina Rankin tells us, a phone call from a veteran's wife moved a local restaurant owner to show 'Memphis Love' to the staff and faculty at the V.A. hospital.
Something very special is happening at the Memphis V.A. Medical Center.
Elwood's Shack employees are getting hot, wrapped meals out a truck and loading them onto a cart.
"The staffing has been cut back at the hospital. All the cafeterias are running shorter hours," said Elwood's Shack's Tim Bednarski.
The carts are then pushed into the hospital, down a hallway; and, food is set up on a table.
"These guys are working longer hours, and they can't go to Kroger when they're getting off at 7 in the morning. They're not open. They're not able to get meals," said Bednarski.
On this day, veteran affairs staff got ham, egg and cheese biscuits, fruit, yogurt, and cereal. But this delivery had a much deeper meaning: one of gratitude birthed out of pain.
"This was born out of a phone call they received from one of the veterans that passed here a couple of months ago. Family members said that these employees were the best to her husband before he passed, and was there anything they could do?" said Veterans Affairs Chief of Voluntary Services Debra Burns.
So, Tim Bednarski at Elwood's Shack was moved to deliver 150 breakfast plates.
"Continuing on delivery meals to our front-line healthcare workers in the city, we wanted to make sure we didn't forget about the V.A. They do an outstanding job," said Bednarski.
"It's a good thing for the people that we have working here that are dedicated to take care of our veterans," said Burns. "Anything is helpful at this time, and it’s encouraging them they're being appreciated for what they do."
Elwood's also delivered 250 lunch plates to the V.A. front-line workers.
