The Los Angeles region has seen a mobilization of businesses, restaurants, and organizations offering support to healthcare workers through free products, meals, and discounts. These initiatives range from complimentary food deliveries to hospitals to exclusive discounts on retail goods and services, often verified through third-party identity services like ID.me. The offers detailed below are derived from reports and lists regarding available perks for frontline medical personnel.
Food and Meal Delivery Initiatives
Several restaurants and food delivery services in Southern California have launched programs to provide meals to hospital staff, either through direct donations to hospitals or discounts for healthcare workers ordering takeout.
Sweetgreen has expanded a program delivering free salads and bowls to hospitals in the cities they serve, including Los Angeles. Hospitals interested in receiving free delivery can sign up via the company's provided link. The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain, utilized a fleet of food trucks to provide over 8,000 free meals to healthcare workers, with stops scheduled at nine hospitals around Los Angeles. Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop has delivered meals to workers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Children's Hospital of Orange County, and Hoag Hospital.
Goldbelly, an online gourmet marketplace, launched a city-based restaurant subscription service benefiting healthcare workers in multiple cities, including Los Angeles. 100% of the net proceeds from these subscriptions are used to send food to frontline workers in that city. The company also donated 1,000 food packages to frontline workers to kick off the initiative.
Starbucks offered free drip coffee to frontline workers, including police officers, firefighters, paramedics, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and researchers, through the end of May.
Other restaurants offering specific discounts or meal deals include:
- Dave's Chillin' and Grillin': This Highland Park spot offered a $5 take-out meal consisting of a sandwich, chips, and water to health care workers.
- Farmhouse at Roger's Garden: Offered a 25% discount to hospital workers through April.
- Insomnia Cookies: Provided 25% off orders of at least $10 with the code WELOVEU. They also donated $1 to the American Red Cross for every 12 cookies sold.
- Maddalena Restaurant at San Antonio Winery: Offered 25% off takeout orders for all health care professionals, grocery store employees, and delivery drivers.
- Sweetgreen: Additionally offered a 50% off delivery order to hospitals within Santa Monica when ordered through their website with the promo code INTHISTOGETHER (with a $10 minimum order).
Retail and Product Discounts
Various retailers offer discounts on products ranging from home goods to beauty and health items, often requiring verification of employment status.
Verification-Based Discounts
Many brands utilize ID.me to verify eligibility for healthcare worker discounts. The following brands are listed as offering specific discounts to medical professionals, nurses, or healthcare providers, with eligibility verified through ID.me unless otherwise noted:
- OXO: 20% off for healthcare workers.
- Priority Tire: $1,425 off any mattress for healthcare professionals (contact customer support to verify eligibility).
- Puffy: 10% off for healthcare professionals (contact customer support to verify eligibility).
- Purple: $225 off $1000+ for nurses.
- Saatva: 60% off club membership for nurses and healthcare workers.
- Sam’s Club: 20% off for medical professionals.
- Spalding: 20% off for medical providers.
- Stanley: 20% off for nurses and medical professionals.
- The Bouqs: 70% off first box for nurses.
- The Farmer’s Dog: 15% off for nurses and medical providers.
- The Happy Planner: Free one-year membership for nurses.
- Thrive Market: 15% off for healthcare professionals.
- Tuft & Needle: Up to 20% off for nurses and medical providers.
- TurboTax: Exclusive discounts for nurses and medical providers.
- YETI: 10% off for nurses and medical providers.
- Zinus: Discount details available on their page.
Other Retail Offers
Additional retail and product discounts are available through various verification methods or direct contact:
- Owala: Offers a 50% healthcare worker discount to all responders, as well as anyone retired from those industries.
- P.volve: Healthcare workers can get monthly streaming for $4.99, as well as 30% off equipment.
- Pro Teeth Guard: All frontline workers are eligible for $100 off custom dental guards.
- Simple Habit: Healthcare workers can email Simple “Habit” to receive free access to its premium membership.
- Speeko: Healthcare and public health professionals are eligible for a free Speeko Plus subscription.
- Talkspace: Provided free resources and 1,000 free months of therapy for healthcare workers.
- Theragun: 20% off any regularly priced Theragun device or TheraOne CBD product.
- Thrivetalk: Free telehealth services for essential health care workers and first responders.
- Vitamix: Medical personnel including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians can receive 20% off by emailing a photo of their medical badge.
- Yeti: 30% off water bottles or insulated coolers.
- Nursemates: Sign up to get 15% off purchase including masks.
- Preppi: Donating N95 masks to healthcare workers in need.
Health, Wellness, and Training Offers
Support extends to professional development, mental health resources, and personal protective equipment.
Training and Professional Development
- Intelycare: Offers a 100% free COVID-19 Nurse Training Certification for nursing professionals. Upon completion, participants receive one free contact hour.
- American Nurses Association (ANA): Offered a free 68-minute webinar for RNs entitled “Be Confident Protecting Yourself and Providing the Best Care to Your Patients During this COVID-19 Pandemic.”
- Orbit CME: Offered a $100 credit.
- LinkBuildingHQ: Acknowledging the efforts of frontline workers, this company offered a 15% discount on marketing services for their online presence using the coupon code Covid15-LBUS.
PPE and Health Products
- DHAVNI: Request a free mask.
- Print For the Cure: Provided face shields, mask straps, and door openers.
- FJOLK: Healthcare workers could email [email protected] to receive a free pair of shoes from the FJOLK community.
- Cloves: Healthcare workers could share their story for a chance to win a pair of Cloves.
Services and Local Perks
Beyond products and food, various service providers and local establishments in Los Angeles and nationwide offered discounts or free services.
Laundry and Cleaning Services
Several local cleaning services in California offered free cleaning for work attire:
- Chateau Cleaners: Free cleaning of scrubs.
- View Cleaners: Free lab coat and scrub cleaning.
- Dutch Girl Dry Cleaners: Free dry cleaning.
Food and Drink (General)
- Cumberland Farms: Healthcare workers, first responders, and military personnel could get a free cup of coffee.
- Dave & Busters: Offered 10 Game Cards to all first responders and healthcare professionals.
Other Services
- BigDogMowers: 10% off.
- All Seasons Air Conditioning & Heating (NC): Free service calls for air conditioning, heating, or electrical services.
- LakeSide Renovation & Design: 10% off all financing.
Admissions and Entertainment
While specific Los Angeles venues were not detailed in the provided chunks, it is noted that across the country, healthcare workers can visit museums, botanical gardens, theme parks, and golf courses for either free or discounted admission.
Beauty and Personal Care
- The Classic Man (Lake Balboa, CA): Free haircuts.
- Fox and Jane Salon (NYC): Free haircuts.
Important Considerations
When utilizing these offers, consumers should be aware of the verification processes and potential risks associated with crowdfunding. The provided source data notes a caution regarding crowdfunding campaigns: "BE CAREFUL! Con artists don't stop conning because of coronavirus and most crowdfunding sites take a passive approach to rooting out scammers." It is recommended to prioritize campaigns from established organizations and restaurants.
Many of the retail discounts listed require verification through ID.me or direct contact with customer support to confirm eligibility. The availability of specific offers, such as those from Dave & Busters or Cumberland Farms, may depend on specific location or franchise participation.
Conclusion
The support network for healthcare workers in Los Angeles includes a wide variety of freebies and discounts, primarily focused on food delivery to hospitals and retail discounts verified through ID.me. From free salads and coffee to significant savings on mattresses and home appliances, these initiatives aim to alleviate the burden on medical personnel. While many offers are verified through official brand partnerships, consumers should exercise caution with unverified crowdfunding campaigns and ensure they meet specific eligibility requirements, such as possessing a valid medical badge or signing up through designated verification portals.