Three local business owners came together to support the health care workers who have been working hard to support the community during the coronavirus pandemic, donating more than 200 pizzas to Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital on Sunday.
“We’re just trying to do everything we can to support everybody (because) we need to support each other right now,” said Jared Yochim, owner of Detour Plumbing. “Knowing that there’s a need for it over at the hospital, I came up with the idea for the donation.”
Yochim then reached out to two other business owners in the Santa Clarita Valley that, just like him, were born and raised here, asking if they’d help.
“They immediately said, ‘Absolutely,’ which bred the new idea of … supporting other small businesses out here by buying from them to do this, even if they’re a franchisee, those are owned by people here, too,” Yochim said, adding, “It really all just came together.”
So, Yochim, along with Michael Meadows of A Cleaner Pool and Dean Kalaitzidis of All Auto Care partnered with Robert Gardner of WeGo Delivery to deliver enough Little Caesars pizza to feed the entire 350-person day shift at the hospital with a second delivery going to the graveyard shift.
“We are overwhelmed by the generous support of financial donations, personal protective equipment and staff meals we are receiving from our community during this challenging time,” Renee Leon, donor relations officer at the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Foundation, said via email. “We’d like to thank each and every business and the many individuals who have reached out to us, with a special thank you to Detour Plumbing, A Cleaner Pool, All Auto Care and WeGo Delivery for coming together to provide pizza for our staff members. Henry Mayo is so very grateful to all who continue to support us.”
Now, their goal is to challenge other local business owners to do the same and provide Henry Mayo staff with another meal, as they all continue to remind these health care workers that their efforts are appreciated.
Signal Staff Writer Caleb Lunetta contributed to this report.
