Sarah Darby, owner of Bloom Baking Company in Kansas City, Mo., was a nurse before leaving the profession ten years ago to run her own bakery. As the coronavirus outbreak has affected the Kansas City community, Darby has decided to use her business to help healthcare workers exposed on the front lines.

Bloom Baking Company’s Feed the Frontline program allows customers to help feed those battling this virus. Supporters can choose to provide meals to a nurse, to a unit or department staff or to the whole building. They can add a special message the bakery’s staff will prepare, pack and deliver the donated meal along with words of thanks and encouragement.

“In my professional life prior to baking, I worked as a registered nurse. I cared for patients in two Kansas City hospitals for nearly 15 years. During the H1N1 outbreak, I was on the Emergency Response Team at Truman Medical Center. I have also worked evenings and nights in critical care units and have been the staff nurse that takes their first break to eat at 2 a.m.” Darby says. “If I did not bring dinner, there was not takeout or cafeterias at that time of night. Now, I am hearing stories from ICU nurses that have been caring for COVID-19 positive patients during their shift. When they leave the hospital, they are staying out of the community to keep the rest us safe – that means no grocery shopping.”

The community has responded with incredible support. With this program, Darby says she is able to keep her 15 employees working. The bakery made 500 meals for the Feed the Frontline program just last week, and they have delivered to places like Darby’s former employer Truman Medical Center.

In addition to this program, Bloom Baking Company is bolstering its sales with meal kit deliveries. Customers can choose meal kits for two or four people that include a breakfast, lunch and dinner option. Included in the kits are options for additional bakery items, like take and bake foods, and groceries like milk, eggs and toilet paper rolls.