Frederick H. 'Butch' Elmgren, Owner Thos. O'Reilly's Public House in Sandy Springs GA.
We opened our business just a week or so before the Covid shutdowns began. There were immediate community needs obviously. Through COVID we took the initiative to make sure Police & First responders as well as front line Hospital workers were fed at no cost. That was really a community effort. Customers could 'Leave a Meal' for a 1st responder and we had a number of corporate partners that purchased blocks of meals to be delivered to police & fire departments, call centers, and hospitals. We have prepared over 1500 meals as a partner with the Archbishop Donoghue Division of the Ancient order of Hibernians for soldiers returning to Atlanta's Hartsfield airport. We worked with a local food bank, Solidarity Sandy Springs, to have bag lunches available for food vulnerable school age children when schools were closed to virtual learning. We worked with a local retirement community nearby that could not staff their kitchen due to the pandemic. Through all of that we served thousands & thousands of meals to those with a need. We have continued to focus in that area for community engagement. People see that and then ask, how can I assist. That is the big change. It brings others to the table.
