On Wednesday, March 3, workers at MedStar Mobile Healthcare on Alta Mere were thanked for their efforts during the winter storm with a home-cooked dinner prepared by members of the Fort Worth Chapter of B’nai B’rith, a group dedicated to improving the quality of life in the community.

They were joined at the event by new Fort Worth Chief of Police Neil Noakes and MedStar Chairman of the Board Dr. Brian Byrd. 

MedStar is the emergency/non-emergency ambulance service providing mobile healthcare to Fort Worth and other surrounding cities.

Fourteen volunteers from the Fort Worth lodge provided a roast chicken dinner, homemade mashed potatoes, salad and cookies.

Chief Transformation Officer Matt Zavadsky said, “It is rare for a group like B’nai B’rith to be so generous as to provide a meal for our frontline staff in their own headquarters as they are coming on and off duty.”

The Lodge brought enough food to feed 70 EMTs, paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, administrative, logistics, support personnel and administration for two evening dinners.

Previously B’nai B’rith volunteers showed up with food and words of appreciation for Fort Worth police officers, firefighters and ICU workers.

“We very much appreciate the work our frontline workers do every day to care for our neighbors,” said Alex Nason, president of the Isadore Garsek B’nai B’rith Lodge. He noted that “many put their health at risk to keep us safe. Providing food for those who work so hard dealing with the pandemic and again showing their heroic work during the winter storm is just a small way we can show our gratitude.”

The idea to feed the Medstar workers came from Alex Nason. When Nason’s wife, Sofia, was feeling ill, but didn’t want to go to the hospital, Nason called MedStar. The first responders stayed with the Nasons until Sofia was feeling better.

—Submitted by

Jim Stanton