Hillsborough Heroes, Caterers Donate Meals To Frontline Workers

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — 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 Meryl Bisberg of Hillsborough, who nominated Andrew and Joann Pantano of Culinary Creations and Hillsborough:

Is the nominee considered an “essential worker”?:

No

What does the nominee do for work?:
Normally a caterer (of delicious food!) now doing a "Helping Those Who Help Us" meals for frontline medical workers program

Why do you believe the nominee should be recognized or honored?
When I first approached them about doing this, they immediately set up a payment method for donating at a very reasonable cost per meal. They waived their delivery fees, and provided hot meals as well as cold, at no additional fee, in some cases discounting the meals by 50 percent.

They also went to area hospitals that are in less affluent areas where the local community might not have been able to offer as much local support, but had the greatest number of COVID patients and the highest burden on hospital workers. They were able to start deliveries the very first week of April and continue through the peak mid-April. They then went to several local long term care centers at the end of April. They have donated about 700 meals and they will keep going as long as the community continues to support the effort, always with gratitude for our frontline healthcare workers and for the donating public as well. Photos and more information of this effort here: culinarycreations.com/donations.

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about your hero?:
They are talented caterers, trusted in the community, and resilient. They were able to alter their mission for this period of COVID and seemed to do it without worrying about the future of their business. They really understand what our hospitals and frontlines have been going through, and have lent their talents to the crisis.

Thank you for all you do, Culinary Creations!

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

All photos included in this post are owned by identified third parties who have given Patch the right to use explicitly for the Patch Local Heroes series.