Lockport Panera Bread Honoring First Responders with Breakfast & Parade Today
Michael Vella is the Manager at the Panera Bread location in Lockport. Michael and his wife Rebecca started an initiative to donate food delivery to healthcare workers as an act of gratitude for the hard work they are putting in every day to keep us safe. Michael spoke with WCCQ’s Roy Gregory for the first time on April 7th about helping our healthcare workers at AMITA Health St. Joe’s Medical Center in Joliet with a delivery of more than 700 bagels. Since then, breakfast has been delivered to the Lockport Fire Department , Lockport Police Department and Health Care Workers at Silver Cross Hospital, plus Morris Hospital and Palos Hospital.
Today Michael talked to WCCQ’s Roy Gregory about a busy day which will include deliveries to Advocate Childrens Hospital in Oak Lawn, AMITA LaGrange Hospital, Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Oak Lawn, and a stop to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox. But That’s not all. Michael will lead a parade today @ 4pm that will make a stop to honor the Health Care Workers and Covid-19 Patients @ Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox.
Bagels for Bravery
Bagels for Bravery – the idea originated by a manager, Michael Vella (and wife Rebecca) at the Lockport IL bakery-cafe whose goal is to help his community by delivering as many bagels as possible to nearby hospitals.
Why Tuesday? Panera offers Bagel Tuesdays or a bakers dozen for a great price at $6.99 on Tuesdays.
When you make a DONATION we will deliver bagels to the first reponders from your nearest bakery-cafe, please indicate your preferred location along with your personal note when you make a donation.
Week 1: AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet
Week 2:
- COVID-19 floor at Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox
- Amita Health Medical Group Family Medicine in Plainfield on Rte. 59
- Lockport Fire and Police departments
Week 3: Michael and Rebecca Vella personally paid and delivered 312 bagels to Edward Hospital & Health Services Obstetrics and Women’s Health, as well as four COVID-19 units (ICU, PMU3, PMU5, and SCU.
Ms. Dawn Butera also made a $203.40 breakfast donation for the Silver Cross Hospital ICU staff.
Support us so that we can continue supporting more COVID-19 floors in other hospitals.
WCCQ’s Roy Gregory spoke to Michael about the motivation to continue to help Health Care Workers on 4/20.
Here’s Michael & Roy’s first conversation from 4/7 on how the whole idea started.
You can Donate to keep honoring our local Healthcare Workers Below. Here’s more from their website https://hamraenterprises.com/payitforward/
We are here to help provide and deliver clean food in mindful packaging with contactless delivery straight to the hospital, if you would like to give back and help fuel them with meals at this critical time. This is also a chance to support our local bakery-cafe employees and delivery drivers.
Our local hospitals staff are working tirelessly to keep us all safe while we are staying home to keep them safe.
Bagels for Bravery 
Bagels for Bravery – the idea originated by a manager, Michael Vella (and wife Rebecca) at the Lockport IL bakery-cafe whose goal is to help his community by delivering as many bagels as possible to nearby hospitals.
Why Tuesday? Panera offers Bagel Tuesdays or a bakers dozen for a great price at $6.99 on Tuesdays.
When you make a DONATION we will deliver bagels to the front line healthcare workers from the Lockport cafe. We will also add a note from you with our delivery, send us an email at [email protected]
Week 1: AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet
Heidi with nurses at AMITA Saint Joseph in Joliet, IL
Contactless delivery outside AMITA Saint Joseph in Joliet, IL
