I want to talk about the amazing work you're
doing with Frontline Foods.
Let's talk about this amazing organization
that you work with.
I mean, we're just part of-- there's over 600 volunteers now
with Frontline Foods.
And it is just--
we were doing it kind of grassroots with Octavia Spencer
and Joel McHale and other people here.
But then all of a sudden we realized
Frontline Foods was doing it all across the country.
It's 100%-- donations go right to-- and it's a win-win,
two-fold thing.
The donations go to restaurants to try
keep their lights on, try to keep their staffs
coming home with a paycheck.
And then they feed the ER rooms and the janitors
and everyone that's on the frontline.
Because it really is, it's incredible
what these nurses and doctors are doing right now
and how hard they're working and how long they're working.
And then to be able to help the restaurants
and-- it's fantastic.
And we're going to talk to Sydney,
who is the nurse that started this whole thing,
a little later in the show.
All right, we are back with Melissa and Ben.
You told us about this incredible organization
you've been working with called Frontline Foods.
And I really wanted to meet this nurse who
started the whole thing.
So from San Francisco, California,
please welcome Sydney Gressel.
Oh, my God, you guys.
Hi.
Hi, Sydney.
Hi.
So I am so happy to meet you and to be able to say to a nurse,
thank you so much for everything you're doing.
You're a pediatric emergency nurse.
And I cannot even imagine how exhausted you must be and how
exhausted all of you must be-- the hours that you're working.
So thank you, thank you, thank you for what you're doing.
And thanks for creating Frontline Foods.
Tell everybody how you had this idea.
How did you start this?
Well, I just want to thank you all first, because this is such
an incredible honor to be here.
Ellen, being on your show is a dream
that I have had for years.
And Melissa and Ben, this is our second Zoom call this week.
I'm so touched by your involvement with our project.
And I just really can't thank you guys enough for giving us
this platform and this opportunity
to talk about the work we're doing with Frontline Foods.
So, thank you, seriously.
So in mid-March I was texting with a friend of mine
named Frank, and he asked me, how can I help?
And at that time, I think I was doing a 16-hour shift that day.
And our hospital was mounting this big response
to the COVID crisis.
And so I suggested that he could sponsor
a pizza party for our team at the hospital,
as a morale boost.
And then that simple idea has blossomed
into this much bigger thing.
Wow.
Just that-- as simple as you said, well, this is a good idea
and now I start this.
And you've raised, I think they said, $3.7 million?
Yeah.
So how many people have you served so far?
Well, so now Frontline Foods is a national nonprofit.
We are up and running in 46 cities throughout the country.
We have an army of organizers, all volunteers,
including the few here that are on our show.
Melissa and Ben have joined us as organizers as well.
So there's about 600 of us.
And we have served over 160,000 meals in over 250 hospitals
throughout the country.
I believe we've partnered with over 500 restaurants.
And we have many more on-boarding.
So this has just become a huge, huge success so far.
And like I said, we're just getting started.
That's incredible.
That's amazing what-- an idea turns into something that you
must be so proud of yourself that you came up with this
and that it's so successful.
So what can people that are watching
right now-- what can they do?
What do you need?
How can we help?
Well, thank you for asking.
So I guess I would have maybe a two-part answer
to that question.
Part one is check out our website, frontlinefoods.org.
On there you can learn about the good work that we're doing.
And you have the opportunity to donate any amount of money.
It is a tax deductible donation.
$5, $50, $5,000-- whatever you're motivated to contribute.
And you can choose if you want to donate on a local level
to a particular city or if you want to donate nationally.
And our national funds are being distributed
to underserved areas, places that
are getting hit really hard with COVID cases
and have less infrastructure, less resource in place.
So we really want to support some of those communities.
And then part two is I could really use your support.
My colleagues throughout the country
really are just asking that everybody
please be patient and continue with the stay home.
The quarantine is so supportive.
It is literally saving thousands and thousands
of lives in the US right now.
It's very challenging.
I get it.
I've got two little kids at home myself.
And I know this is such a sacrifice that we are making,
but we're doing it for each other.
So if we could just get the message out
to stick with it, to be patient.
It is working, and we just have to stay the course.
Yeah.
I agree with you.
All right, well of course, we want to help.
We weren't just going to have you on and talk to you
and say bye-bye.
Shutterfly is an amazing partner of ours.
And thanks to them, we have been able to help
the health care workers and their communities
around the country.
And today they're going to donate
$25,000 to Frontline Foods.
That's amazing.
That's so great.
Thank you.
You guys--
And thank you, Shutterfly.
Thank you.
Thank you, Shutterfly.
Thank you, Ellen.
Thank you, Melissa.
Thank you, Ben.
Thank you, Octavia.
Thank you-- wow.
Thank you, guys.
Thank you, Joel.
So many people have come together
to make this a success.
I can't thank you guys enough.
Well, we can't thank you enough.
And hopefully everybody will go to our website to find out
how they can donate as well.
Because even when you say that the hardest hit areas--
it really is.
You think about not just helping the health care workers,
but helping the restaurants in those hardest hit areas.
It really is a win-win for everybody.
So it was a great idea, and it's a great organization.
So go to our website to see how you can help.
Thank you.
We'll be right back.
Thank you so much.