Freebies and Discounts for Frontline Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Numerous brands and companies extended special offers, discounts, and free products to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These initiatives aimed to acknowledge the sacrifices of healthcare professionals, first responders, and essential personnel. The available promotions spanned multiple categories, including food and beverage, retail apparel, personal care, travel, and professional services. Access to these offers often required verification through identification or specific third-party services.

Food and Beverage Offers

Several food and beverage chains provided complimentary items to frontline workers. These offers generally required the presentation of a valid work identification at the point of purchase.

McDonald’s: The fast-food chain offered free meals to healthcare workers and first responders through May 5. Breakfast options included an Egg McMuffin, Chicken McGriddle, or Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit, accompanied by hash browns and any size soft drink, tea, or hot coffee. For lunch and dinner, eligible workers could choose a double cheeseburger, six-piece Chicken McNuggets, or Filet-O-Fish, plus small fries and any size soft drink, tea, or hot coffee.
Circle K: First responders and health care workers were eligible for a free coffee, tea, or Polar Pop Fountain Drink by showing an ID. This offer was available through April 30.
Cumberland Farms: Health care workers, first responders, and military personnel could receive a free any-size hot or iced coffee.
L.A. Verve Coffee Roasters: Frontline workers and teachers were eligible for a free cup of quick-drip coffee at all locations.
La Brea Bakery: This company planned to give away 100 meals to healthcare workers each day through April 30, available between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Snickers: A program allowed users to fill out a quick form to send an e-gift card to an essential worker for a free Snickers bar redeemable at Walmart.

Retail and Apparel Discounts

Apparel and retail brands offered significant price reductions on their products. These discounts were often applied at checkout after online verification.

The North Face: Through December 31, 2020, The North Face provided a 50% discount to Healthcare Workers and First Responders on thenorthface.com and at The North Face-owned retail stores in the United States. A 10% discount was available on non-clearance items at outlet stores during the same period. Eligible professions included doctors, nurses, technicians, medical researchers, hospital workers, EMTs, firefighters, and police.
Adidas: For a limited time, Adidas offered first responders, nurses, medical professionals, and military members a 40% discount on their entire purchase. This discount applied to sale items based on the original price.
Carhartt: Doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, first responders, and active military members received 25% off in-store (with ID) and online (verified with ID.me).
Dollar General: Healthcare workers, first responders, and military personnel received a 10% discount with ID verification every day.
Wrangler: Frontline heroes, including nurses, received a 10% discount.
Lee Jeans: Lee Jeans offered a 10% discount to Nursing communities as part of their "Frontline Heroes" support.
Fruit of the Loom: The brand provided a 20% discount for military, first responders, medical professionals, and other eligible groups.
O'Neill: Discounts were available for various groups, including nurses.
Rhone: The company offered a discount program for various community support groups, including nurses.
Lovehoney: Nurses received a 20% discount.
Girlfriend Collective: This brand offered a 20% discount to nurses for ethically made fashion items.
Happy Planner: Nurses could redeem a discount through ID.me verification.
Hunter Fan Company: Discounts were available for military and medical professionals, including nurses, verified through ID.me.
Peak Design: Exclusive discounts were offered to various professionals, including nurses.
Ikon Pass: Active licensed nurses received exclusive discounts on various pass products.
RV Mattress: Medical professionals, including nurses, received discounts verified through ID.me.
Colorescience: Frontline workers, including nurses and medical professionals, received a 15% discount.
Scott: A 15% discount was available to healthcare workers, including nurses, through ID.me verification.

Health, Beauty, and Personal Care

Beauty and personal care brands focused on hygiene and wellness, offering both discounts and free products.

Bath & Body Works: The retailer offered hand soaps on sale for 4 for $20 or 6 for $26 through April 30.
Nursemates: Workers could sign up to get 15% off purchases, including masks.
DHAVNI: A program allowed users to request a free mask.
Preppi: The company was donating N95 masks to healthcare workers in need.
FJOLK: Healthcare workers could email [email protected] to receive a free pair of shoes from the FJOLK community.
Intelycare: This company offered a 100% free COVID-19 Nurse Training Certification for nursing professionals, which included one free contact hour upon completion.

Travel and Lodging

Hospitality and travel companies provided free or heavily discounted stays for workers.

Airbnb: Airbnb provided 100,000 healthcare professionals, relief workers, and first responders with free stays.
Red Roof Inn: Free rooms were available through May 31. Workers were instructed to call 1-800-RED-ROOF or contact their local Red Roof Inn to book.
Hotel Booking Program: From May 4-12, every room booked under the code THANKYOU resulted in a room for a registered nurse and unlocked a discount of up to 50% off for guests for stays starting July 6 through October 29, 2020.

Automotive and Services

Automotive dealerships and service providers also contributed to the support efforts.

Mazda Dealerships: Mazda dealerships nationwide offered free standard oil changes and cleaning services for healthcare workers. This was available regardless of whether the individual drove a Mazda.
AT&T (FirstNet): AT&T offered three months of free service for frontline workers on the FirstNet plan. The service prioritizes data for healthcare workers. Existing subscribers automatically received the credit, and new subscribers were also eligible.

Entertainment and Recreation

Companies in the entertainment and recreation sector offered ways for workers to unwind.

AMF Lanes: First responders received a free game of bowling (excluding shoes) at select locations. This required mentioning the promotion at the front desk and presenting a valid ID.
Talkspace: The company offered a month of free therapy for doctors, nurses, social workers, and frontline workers.
Wishroute: Frontline healthcare workers could get free access to Wishroute’s self-care program for one month. The service provided daily check-ins and self-care tips via text.

Professional Development and Training

Opportunities for professional growth were made available through webinars and training programs.

American Nurses Association (ANA): A free 68-minute webinar was available for RNs titled "Be Confident Protecting Yourself and Providing the Best Care to Your Patients During this COVID-19 Pandemic."
Orbit CME: Users could receive a $100 credit for Orbit CME.
LinkBuildingHQ: This company acknowledged the efforts of frontline workers by offering a 15% discount on marketing services using the coupon code Covid15-LBUS.

Verification Processes

Many of the discounts and freebies listed required verification to ensure eligibility. The most common method mentioned was ID.me, a third-party service used by brands such as Carhartt, Scott, Colorescience, RV Mattress, Happy Planner, and Hunter Fan Company. Other offers relied on manual verification, such as showing a physical ID at a retail location or restaurant (e.g., Circle K, McDonald's, AMF Lanes). Some promotions required specific actions, such as emailing a dedicated address (FJOLK) or filling out an online form (Snickers).

Conclusion

The response to frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was extensive, with companies across various sectors offering financial relief and free goods. These offers ranged from daily necessities like coffee and meals to significant discounts on apparel, travel, and professional services. Eligibility was generally restricted to healthcare workers, first responders, and military personnel, with verification mechanisms in place to maintain the integrity of the programs. While many of the specific dates mentioned in the source material (such as April and May 2020) have passed, the data illustrates the scope of corporate support available during that period.