This NYC comedian started buying lunch for her sister's ICU unit — now she's feeding thousands on the frontlines
Back on March 21st, NYC based stand-up comedian Katie Finn was adjusting to working her day job from home, knowing that many out there were not as lucky. Like many who have family members working in hospitals, she was continuously checking in on her sister Kelly, an ICU nurse at a hospital in the epicenter treating critical COVID-19 patients. Finn wanted to find a way to help her sister and the other nurses working tirelessly on the frontlines with a peak looming on the horizon. Finn says that after accepting the fact that she could not build a ventilator or uncover a hoarded stockpile of N95 masks, she thought of a simple way she could help, buying lunch. That day Katie bought lunch for her sister and the other nurses in her ICU unit. The staff thanked her profusely and said having the food there waiting for them during their long draining shifts treating COVID-19 patients was a blessing. That’s when Finn decided to start Feeding Our Frontlines. She put out a call to friends, family and followers from the NYC comedy community to donate whatever they could so that she could continue to deliver food to frontline workers during the pandemic. She had no idea at the time how much of an impact her call to action would make. Now six weeks later, her organization has raised over $34,000 and counting. She is continuing to feed thousands of healthcare workers in hospitals throughout New York City and Connecticut. Finn posts video updated weekly on her website that chronicles the growing movement.
Video Transcript
KATIE FINN: I'm working from home these days, like a lot of people are. But there are many out there who can't work from home, like my sister Kelly, an ICU nurse at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Her unit is treating critical COVID-19 patients.
So I asked my sister, what can I do? She said Katie, can you make a ventilator? I said no.
Have you been hoarding N95 masks? I said I have not. She said can you buy lunch? And I said yes, that I can do.
All right, Monday afternoon, first food drop of the week. I bought my sister and the nurses in her unit lunch, and they loved it.
- I appreciate all your kindness. Thank you.
KATIE FINN: I'm hoping to be able to buy the nurses lunch the rest of the week. But who knows? Maybe it could be for longer.
All right, we're all loaded up. Here we go. We did lunch today for two units of nurses at two different hospitals. There's your face.
- Oh my gosh.
- Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh.
KATIE FINN: In the past week and a half with your donations, I fed around 750 people. All the meals are being bought from local restaurants here. These people are so appreciative of the food.
- I just want to say thank you so much to my sister, Katie Finn. I think most of us wouldn't have even eaten if it hadn't been for Katie, and so many wonderful people buying us food and getting us food and bringing it to us. And we want to say thank you.
KATIE FINN: And I tell them, everybody on my end that's donating money is appreciative of their work and what they're doing. So really, thank you. I just three weeks, nearly $28,000 has been donated. This past week, your donations fed a total of 14 ICU units of health care workers, along with three different shifts of emergency room staff. And this was across three different hospitals.
Everybody in the emergency room is going to have a fanny pack.
- We have to have so many things on our person at all times, and we're-- like we only get one of everything right now. So it's so helpful to have it. We appreciate it so much.
KATIE FINN: This Saturday marked four weeks since I put out the call for donations. Today, I sit amazed and overwhelmed and humbled by the donations that have come in. It is over $32,000, which is awesome. We have fed over 3,000 health care professionals.
How's it going?
- Good.
KATIE FINN: Yeah? Is it better?
- It is better.
KATIE FINN: It's better? You guys, it's better. It's working. Keep staying at home, unless you're bringing food to the nurses.
This is a hard time. People want to help. And it's making a difference. There is still good in the world.
I'm feeding health care workers for the duration of this thing as long as the donations keep coming in. So please, Venmo me @comickatie. Stay safe, everyone.
- Thank you. Whoo.
