Vertex Foundation to Donate 10,000 Meals for Front-Line COVID-19 Health Care Workers at Two Boston Hospitals This Week
Donation to Frontline Foods will supply 10,000 meals to workers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital
Purchase of the meals from local restaurants will also support restaurant employees impacted economically by COVID-19
BOSTON – May 11, 2020 – Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced that the Vertex Foundation, a nonprofit charitable foundation, will cover the costs of meals from local restaurants for COVID-19 front-line health care workers at two Boston hospitals this week as they deal with the pandemic’s impact on the city.
This donation is part of the recent $5 million commitment by the Vertex Foundation to support organizations that are providing on-the-ground COVID-19 emergency relief and assistance focused on essential health care and health supplies and providing support for vulnerable populations in the global communities where Vertex operates.
Partnering with the grassroots organization Frontline Foods, the Foundation has made a donation to ensure that front-line COVID-19 health care workers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital receive a total of 10,000 nutritious meals starting on May 11. The meals will feed physicians, nurses, janitorial staff, security and others working on the front lines of this pandemic. The purchase of the meals from local restaurants will also help support employees who have been affected by COVID-19 economic impacts. There are several restaurants partnering in this effort including: Flour, Eastern Standard/Branch Line and Orinoco.
“Our front-line health care workers are the true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting their lives at risk every day to help patients survive,” said Jeffrey Leiden, M.D., Ph.D., Executive Chairman at Vertex. “As this pandemic continues, these funds will provide thousands of nourishing meals during their incredibly grueling shifts, while also providing economic sustenance to local restaurants and their workers. We are in this together, and we are humbled to be part of this very special community in Boston that comes together in times of crisis to support the most vulnerable.”
“I want to thank the Vertex Foundation and Frontline Foods for supporting Boston’s health care workers during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis,” said Elizabeth Nabel, M.D., President, Brigham Health. “As our teams rise to the daily challenge of combating COVID-19, it is comforting to have community support through thoughtful efforts such as this.”
“We are so appreciative that the Vertex Foundation has stepped up to provide a full week of meals for COVID-19 front-line health care workers at these hospitals,” said Joelle Moroney of Frontline Foods Boston. “It is a true gift for our workers — in our hospitals and restaurants alike.”
Frontline Foods is a grassroots organization that raises money from the community to pay local restaurants to prepare meals for the heroes responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Fueled by a growing army of over 700 volunteers, Frontline Foods has raised over $5M and delivered more than 300,000 meals to frontline workers in more than 300 hospitals nationwide — so far. Frontline Foods is partnered with World Central Kitchen, a tax-exempt, registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
About the Vertex Foundation
The Vertex Foundation is a nonprofit charitable foundation. It seeks to improve the lives of people with serious diseases and in its communities through education, innovation and health programs. Established in 2017, the Foundation is a long-term source of charitable giving and is part of Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ corporate giving commitment. To learn more about the Vertex Foundation, visit https://www.vrtx.com/responsibility/vertex-foundation.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of genetic and cell therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London, UK. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 10 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and top five on the 2019 Best Employers for Diversity list by Forbes. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
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