Dear Editor,
In the midst of a global pandemic and national unrest, there is still care and compassion for humankind. It is important to recognize the outpouring of help in the local Killington community that epitomizes the level of care needed for one another during these times.
Bryan Gudelis and the staff of the Garlic Restaurant and Nate Freund and the staff of Sushi Yoshi have had an enormous impact on Killington Elementary School families in need. Families who qualify for the Vermont Agency of Education Free and Reduced Lunch plan were provided with dinners on a regular basis from these two restaurants.
The scope of this extensive generosity is enormous.
Just after schools closed and people lost their jobs (or had to stay home to teach their children) and unemployment compensation was slow to arrive due to Covid-19, the Garlic donated 806 meals between March 23 and June 1. Between March 30 and June 4, Sushi Yoshi provided 614 free meals.
It is important to note that Chris Karr and the staff at the Foundry at Summit Pond donated many dinners during the two week period that they remained open and staffed. How proud I am of the Killington community and businesses.
On behalf of all of the Killington Elementary School faculty and staff, thank you to these restaurant owners and staff for the extraordinary generosity and compassion for the families of our school and community. Struggling families were very grateful for the opportunity to indulge in a prepared dinner. The simplicity of a family eating a meal together at the end of the day provided a welcome relief to the financial stress brought on by the pandemic.
I hope that as times return to normal, restaurant goers will consider paying it forward and remember the adage, what goes around comes around, or it should!
Sincerely,
Mary Guggenberger, principal of Killington Elementary School
