Eric Chaffin understands what it means to get laid off. When his father, who worked as a West Virginia steelworker, had financial struggles, Mr. Chaffin remembers having to get by in times of hardship.
“We certainly had times in our lives when life was just a struggle,” Mr. Chaffin said. And in the midst of an ongoing pandemic that has swept the world and impacted lives in so many ways, especially financially, Mr. Chaffin feels compelled to provide hope to others.
Throughout the week, Mr. Chaffin has heard from friends who have been laid off due to certain businesses shutting down to slow the spread of COVID-19 – leaving them in financial crisis. And when he read reports from across the country about how young children who rely on their schools for free lunches may not be able to receive them during this pandemic, he felt a need to provide help.
Now working in New York as a managing partner for a personal injury law firm he co-founded, Chaffin Luhana LLP, Mr. Chaffin wants to give back to the Pittsburgh community by organizing a drive-thru to provide 10,000 free sandwiches to local residents in need. Mr. Chaffin said one of his branch law firms is located in Green Tree, and he has had thousands of clients from around the area during the past seven years the office has been operating.
The drive-thru event is scheduled to start on Monday at the Oakmont Bakery at 9 a.m. and will continue to stay open until all of the food has run out. Drivers can pull up to the bakery’s parking lot on Third Street in Oakmont and then exit the drive-thru on Hulton Road.
Mr. Chaffin said he reached out to his friend Peter Previti at Nation’s Best Deli Meats in the Bronx, N.Y., to buy deli meat for the sandwiches and KDKA Radio’s Marty Griffin to help organize the event and gather local businesses to help provide ingredients.
To make 10,000 sandwiches, organizers have arranged for 2,500 pounds of turkey and roast beef deli meat, hundreds of loaves of bread from Oakmont Bakery, 400 pounds of cheese donated by Lamagna Cheese Co. of Verona, and hundreds of pounds of lettuce donated by Sam’s Club.
Turner Dairy Farms, of Penn Hills, will donate 20,000 cartons of milk. Utz Quality Foods Inc. is also donating 10,000 bags of chips.
As volunteers gear up for the predicted rush of people next week, safety for volunteers and participants will also be kept in mind.
At the food drive, everyone involved is expected to wear gloves and masks. Organizers will also follow the social distancing recommendation of standing six feet apart. All of the fresh ingredients will be shipped in a sterile environment and refrigerated.
The deli meat will be sliced in three different locations — Oakmont Bakery, Oakmont Deli and Bird Dog’s Sports Bar and Grill — to help keep workers spread apart.
To keep traffic flowing, Oakmont Bakery staff and Oakmont police will be guiding drivers, according to a Chaffin Luhana Foundation spokesperson. Drivers will also be advised to stay in their cars and keep their vehicles at a distance between one another.
Oakmont Police Chief Michael Ford could not be reached for comment Friday.
In addition to a pick-up location, Mr. Chaffin will be working with 412 Food Rescue to deliver meals to families around Pittsburgh who may not be able to pick them up.
Mr. Chaffin thinks 10,000 sandwiches will go by very quickly. He hopes that his actions will also inspire other businesses across the country to work together and follow his efforts in feeding their local communities.
Lauren Lee: llee@post-gazette.com; @lauren_llee.
Source: https://www.post-gazette.com/local/east/2020/03/20/Oakmont-Bakery-Oakmont-Deli-Harrison-Bird-Dog-s-Bar-and-Grill-COVID-19-Oakmont-Police/stories/202003200108
