Ukrainian restaurateur feeds front-line workers in hard-hit New York

Gera Wise has lived in many places. Born and raised in Kyiv, he moved with his family to Israel when he was 18. Ten years later, he moved again — this time, to the United States.

In the ensuing 16 years, America has become his home, he says. It has also given him many opportunities. Today, 44-year-old Wise is a restaurateur who owns two eateries in New York City.

So when COVID-19 struck the United States, hitting New York the hardest, he was determined to give back.

He teamed up with his friend Rodolfo Amoresano, 64, an investor of Argentinean origin. Together, they launched Meals for Frontlines, an initiative that provides hospital employees and other essential workers in New York with free hot meals.

Since the first day of the city’s stay-at-home policy, it has delivered thousands of meals to workers in three districts of the city, they say. 

As of May 8, the U.S. has diagnosed a global record of 1.2 million COVID-19 cases. More than 76,000 Americans have lost their lives. New York alone has seen over 337,000 cases and 26,000 deaths.

Some New York hospitals have switched to only treating COVID-19 patients. These medical centers have established strict policies to reduce social contact between employees. Only some staffers are allowed to cross between floors or leave the hospital during working hours. Ordering food delivery is often not an option. Meanwhile, many doctors and nurses are working overtime, making it difficult to prepare meals at home.

That’s when Meals for Frontlines steps in to help.

Message of gratitude

Since he arrived in the United States, Wise has been chasing the American dream. The businessman started out running clothing stores until he entered New York’s restaurant scene in 2014.

Today he owns restaurant and nightclub Wise Bar & Grill, cafe Wise Espresso Bar and delivery service Wise Express.

Both of his establishments are located in Brighton Beach, a neighborhood in Brooklyn district known for its high population of immigrants from post-Soviet countries.

Wise Bar & Grill serves a mix of local dishes and cuisine from post-Soviet countries, which perfectly suits its core audience of immigrants.

When New York state authorized quarantine and ordered all restaurants to close to diners, Wise decided to temporarily shut down his cafe and do delivery from the restaurant.

He says that the crisis hit his business hard — it’s losing about 80% of its regular revenue now and most of his staff are staying home on unpaid leave. The businessman rotates the employees completing delivery orders so that everyone gets to work at least some hours and make some income every week. 

Wise was lucky to have one of his lease payments frozen for several months, but he continues to pay the other one. And while his business received a payment from the state as part of the coronavirus relief plan, he says it barely covers their regular weekly budget for groceries.

Despite his own struggles, Wise was looking for a way to help those who needed it more than him.

Wise’s family — his sister, who works in a hospital, and his elderly mother, who stays inside — lives in Israel. Being so far away from them, Wise says he feels powerless. There’s little he can do for them in these hard times. 

“But I can help here,” he told the Kyiv Post.

The idea for how to be useful during the pandemic emerged from a conversation with Amoresano, Wise’s close friend, who also wanted to be of service to his home of 40 years.

Amoresano says that initiatives like theirs send an important message to the front-line workers: the community is behind them and grateful for their work.

The Argentinian investor says that, although it wasn’t their goal, Meals For Frontlines might also be a sign of gratitude that immigrants feel toward the U.S.

“It doesn’t matter where we come from — we’re here to help,” Amoresano told the Kyiv Post.

Morale boost

Since Wise was a restaurateur, providing hot meals on the coronavirus front lines was a perfect way for the two friends to contribute. 

Since day one of quarantine, they have been delivering food to essential workers. Amoresano manages logistics, coordinates requests for meals and donations, while Wise is in charge of the food itself.

Every day, their efforts provide hundreds of packaged meals. 

According to Amoresano, they have delivered food for employees of 18 hospitals and several police departments in Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. He says that they prioritize those hospitals that have become hot spots with some of the biggest patient numbers.

“We focus on areas that need support the most,” Amoresano says.

Wise says that each front-line worker gets a freshly-cooked, hot and filling meal that includes soup, a salad and a main course like chicken and rice, salmon and mashed potatoes or pasta with meatballs.

“It’s tasty home-like food,” he says.

According to Wise, medical employees are thankful for the initiative, since it frees them of at least one task a day.

“Not only do they not spend anything on it, but they also receive fresh and hot ready-to-eat food,” he says.

Amoresano says that their meals also boost the worker’s morale in the middle of the struggle they experience at work.

“For five or 10 minutes, you remove yourself from where you are and it gives you a break,” he says, describing how the food affects health care workers.

Community spirit

Since they launched Meals for Frontlines, the two friends say it has received overwhelming support from the local community.

They have received over $42,000 in donations for meals.

Some suppliers and businesses donate groceries and protective face masks. Others, Wise says, spread the word about the effort on social media, which they also appreciate.

“We’re not alone,” Wise says. “As a community, we help each other.”

Although people donated a lot at the beginning of the quarantine, the number of contributions is starting to slow down now.

And it’s no wonder, Wise says. People are running out of money. As many as 22 million Americans have lost their jobs during the pandemic. All some have received is a one-time payment from the government.

“The situation isn’t easy,” Wise says.

When the initiative runs low on funds, Wise makes his own financial contributions to keep it running.

While many states have started to lift shutdown orders throughout the United States, New York will remain under quarantine until at least May 15. But as the outbreak’s epicenter, the state is expected to be the last one to open up.

No matter how long the lockdown policies will remain in force, Wise and Amoresano are determined to keep Meals for Frontlines running  “through the worst times.”

“Until the last day of the quarantine,” Wise says.