It’s been a bit of an awful news day today but this next yarn will fill your heart and hopefully your stomach too. Celeb chef and Goddess of tasty snacks Kylie Kwong has joined a bunch of Sydney eateries in cooking free meals for healthcare workers. You love to see and smell it.
Restaurants from the South Eveleigh community have come together to deliver food to the staff at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital every Friday.
The community project is led by Addison Road Community Organisation. The service includes a range of cuisines such as Vietnamese from Eat Fuh, Thai from Pepper Seeds, Egyptian from Bekya and Cantonese from Kwong’s restaurant Lucky Kwong.
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Kwong told ABC Radio Sydney’s Sarah Macdonald. that she had been making a “special RPA fried rice” and Hokkien noodle salad for the state’s healthcare workers. The former dish is based on her mother’s recipe.
“We read about it, hear and see the stories every day, and I think first and foremost, to acknowledge their hard work is very important,” Kwong told ABC Radio Sydney’s Sarah Macdonald.
“For two years, we’ve observed the daily mounting pressures that our frontline medical workers remain under with very little, if any, opportunity for a rest in between.
“We want to give them a nourishing boost to their spirits and tummies before starting yet another long, complex and often heartbreaking shift.”
“It is only a small gesture for our hardworking frontline workers but if it can put a smile on their faces then it will be all worth it,” Pepper Seeds owner Tom Sanpoowong told the ABC.
“The meals are a gentle reminder that the community has not forgotten the dedication and sacrifices of health staff.”
It’s no secret that the country’s healthcare workers have faced the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thousands of NSW nurses and midwives went on strike on February 15th in protest against the NSW Government’s treatment of them during this health crisis. They called for better working conditions due to the intense pressure on the healthcare system.
Several of those that attended the protest told us that they felt burned out, unsupported and understaffed as well as physically and mentally exhausted.
So yeah, they bloody well deserve a good feed.
