On Wednesday April 15, hundreds of 'Gold Coast Health' workers from Helensvale to Palm Beach will receive free gourmet 'Thank You' meals as part of the business-community initiative, 'Superfood for Superheroes'.
Powered by former nurse and Director of Superannuation Advice Australia, Noel Shephard, in partnership with award-winning catering company Wine & Dine'm, frontline workers across all eight of the Gold Coast Health Trust hospitals and medical centres will be the first recipients of messages of thanks on behalf of the business community, for their selfless efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 'Superfood for Superheroes' van will be spotted driving around from Wednesday onward, delivering gourmet 'thank you' meals with personalised messages from local businesses who have generously donated to the initiative. The van will double up as a mobile reminder for our community, to pause and reflect on the hard work of our brave frontline workers.
Former nurse-turned-financial advisor, Noel Shephard wants our frontline workers to get the recognition they deserve for risking their own lives to protect ours.
"We may not be enduring the levels of stress on our health system so sadly encountered by some other countries, but that doesn't make the bravery of our frontline any less incredible," said Shephard.
"I was a nurse for eleven years myself, as many of my friends are to this day. You can see despite their brave faces, frontline workers are frightened by the potential scale of the virus and the loss of life that will inevitably occur, despite their very best efforts," he said.
"That's where Superfood for Superheroes all began… Having left the industry some time ago, I might not be able to throw on my scrubs and join them, but I can certainly say thank you, let workers know we appreciate them and remind our community that these indispensable individuals are real people with families, and truck-loads of resilience. On behalf of everyone at Superannuation Advice Australia, we want to say thank you and in our own small way, celebrate the efforts of each and every frontline worker."
"The charitable arm of our business, the 'Super Advice Australia Community Fund' was founded to enable us to give back to the community at times like this. I'm hoping Superfood for Superheroes will put some smiles on deserving faces and keep our community spirits up," said Shephard.
Owner of events and catering business Wine & Dine'm, providers of 'superfood' for the initiative, Craig Fox, said it's been a tough time for businesses like his and when 'Superfood for Superheroes' came along he jumped at the opportunity to put his remaining staff, commercial facility and fleet of vans to good use in distributing a potentially powerful message.
"Our industry has collapsed and there's absolutely nothing we can do except dust ourselves off and adapt to a new normal. Our business' story is far from over and we will come out at the other end of all this. In the meantime, we're not going to sit idle," said Fox.
"Superfood for Superheroes gave us an opportunity to use what we do - preparing delicious food - to help the frontline keep doing what they do - saving lives. It certainly helps give us some sense of purpose in these challenging times."
"Superfood for Superheroes was an opportunity for us to change focus, to take our minds off our stark reality... To do something for those who are looking after our most vulnerable was a welcomed distraction... It's heartwarming to be able to contribute to something that brings our community back together," said Fox
"I'm also looking forward to welcoming some of our team back into the kitchen this week to prepare and deliver the meals."
'Superfood for Superheroes' is calling on businesses from far and wide to join in by donating funds via 'Go Fund Me', with 100% of the funds going to food, provided at cost price. Along with their donation, they will be given the opportunity to craft a personal thank you that will be printed onto the labels of each of the meals that they fund.
'Superfood for Superheroes' is a collaborative initiative between Superannuation Advice Australia and award-winning local catering business Wine & Dine'm. 100% of all donations will go towards meals for frontline workers at cost. Any other expenses will be taken care of by Superannuation Advice Australia and Wine & Dine'm. Local businesses can pledge their support to our frontline heroes by visiting www.superfoodforsuperheroes.com.au.
