Hospital support coming in many forms

POTTSTOWN » Last week, NPR reported that the cornonavirus has now killed more people than the Vietnam War.

Just as the medical professionals who served during that war earned respect and thanks, those serving on the front lines fighting this virus right here in Pottstown are also receiving the respect and thanks of a grateful community.

And perhaps it is no coincidence that a recent donation came from Pottstown Vietnam Veterans of America Keystone Chapter 565.

With so many people wanting to say thanks, particularly with pizza, the chapter was informed that more food was being purchased for the hospital’s emergency room than it’s employees could possibly eat.

“The food designated to for a specific department in that hospital cannot be shared with other departments. That is that hospital’s protocol,” according to Billy Worrell, vice president of the post.

So on April 14, the chapter provided 14 large pizzas and three tossed salads to some of the other departments at the hospital.

The pizza came from Valentino’s Pizzeria in Stowe, who “have been very good to veteran projects in the past,” said Worrell.

There is certainly no shortage of pizza at the hospital.

On April 27, Rocky Citrino, proprietor of Little It- aly, delivered 95 free pizzas to the hospital staff.

Additionally, a supply of surgical masks, some donated anonymously to the Pottstown chapter of NAACP, and others obtained by the Pottstown Children’s Foundation, were recently provided to hospital staff.

All this is in addition to drive-by appreciation parades over the past two weeks and the OJR alum who set up a site allowing donors to match local restaurants with hospital shifts for meals.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Pottstown Hospital staff show off the masks donated through the efforts of the Pottstown chapter of the NAACP and the Pottstown Children’s Foundation. The foundation also bought lunch last week for the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department.