AAA Honors Health Care Heroes With Gift Baskets

Last week, AAA employees delivered over 200 gift baskets filled with nutritious snacks for nurses and health care workers at 11 Rhode Island hospitals and health care centers in celebration of National Nurses Week.

“Nurses are there when we need them, and AAA wants to be there when they need us,” says John Galvin, president and CEO of AAA Northeast. “These first responders help and serve as a way of life, and we want them to have the peace of mind to know AAA will be there if they need roadside assistance.”

Several employees met at AAA Northeast headquarters in Providence, R.I., last week to load up two vans and one truck with gift baskets. The truck was the AAA battery service vehicle recently wrapped with a “Thank You Healthcare Workers” message. Each basket contained all-natural granola bars and breakfast snacks donated by local businesses Mello’s Fruitland, Naturally Divine, Trader Joe’s, Shri Bark and Sacred Cow.

The sweeping effort was organized by AAA Northeast’s information technology department. To launch the effort, Bill Dziura, vice president of information technology operations, partnered with Miriam Hospital’s nutrition expert Dr. Mary Flynn, an associate professor at Brown University. They produced a list of nutrient-rich grab-and-go snacks to help sustain health care workers working busy shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AAA Northeast regularly contributes to community efforts across its territory and has supported a number of local initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic, even giving many employees the opportunity to provide community service during their work shifts.

On Thursday, AAA Northeast employees delivered breakfast to health care workers at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Utica, N.Y., in collaboration with local restaurant Willie’s Bagels. Breakfast items included bagels, granola bars, fruit and other nutritious options.

“The donation provided a great way to show appreciation to those who are working long hours fighting the COVID-19 virus,” said Patti Artessa, regional director of public affairs for AAA Northeast.

AAA employees are also helping Meals on Wheels in New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. AAA roadside technicians are delivering much-needed protective gowns made and donated by Thermaxx to first responders and health care workers in Connecticut. In addition, AAA Northeast has donated more than $100,000 since the crisis began and supplements employee donations through a matching gift program.

AAA Northeast will continue to support its local communities during this crisis and always.