'Brave Angel:' Asbury Park Hero Provides Fresh Meals To Elderly

ASBURY PARK — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented times. Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these everyday heroes

This submission comes from Michael Connolly of Asbury Park, who nominated Debbie Furman Zimmerman:

Where the nominee lives:
Asbury Park

Where the person who nominated the hero lives:
Asbury Park

Name of the nominee:
Debbie Furman Zimmerman

Name of the person who nominated the hero:
Michael Connolly

Is the nominee considered an “essential worker”?:
Yes

What does the nominee do for work?:
Debbie is the registered dietitian and food service manager for an all-inclusive care center for the elderly known as Beacon of LIFE located in Oceanport.

Why do you believe the nominee should be recognized or honored?
Debbie is truly a hero. She works at a center that provides vital services for elderly people. She is in charge of overseeing the participant’s dietary needs and center’s kitchen.

When the pandemic began, participants were no longer allowed to gather at the center and daily kitchen operations were to be suspended. Faced with this crisis, Debbie coordinated a program to provide participants fresh cooked meals, delivered to their home on a daily basis by the center’s staff.

Debbie personally tailors the meals to address the specific dietary needs of each participant. Through her efforts, Debbie kept all of the center’s kitchen staff working and transportation drivers busy.

Debbie also ensured the more than five dozen elderly people continue to receive healthy meals and daily visits from caring staff rather than being left in isolation with poorer food choices. Every day, Debbie dons her masks and gloves to oversee the food operations at the center and evaluate the participants health needs.

She is also organizing even more services to lift her participants’ morale including leading guided meditations and modified chair yoga classes via phone conferencing.

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about your hero?:
Debbie’s passion and commitment are inspiring. During a time when loneliness, poor health choices, and fear of job loss are running rampant, there is a brave angel on the front lines putting herself at risk to help those most in need.

Thank you for all you do!

>> Do YOU have a local hero you would like us to know about? Share their story here.