Kamloops' Colombo Lodge gives away 1,000 pasta meals to Royal Inland Hospital staff

The Colombo Lodge wanted to show its thanks to staff at Royal Inland Hospital for their hard work durning the pandemic — work that has become increasingly stressful in recent days as the facility deals with a COVID-19 outbreak.

And, thanks to contributions from community and lodge members, on Wednesday they did just that.

From 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., volunteers made and handed out hot penne and meatball meals to RIH staff members who registered online.

"We're hoping to bring joy to peoples hearts who are feeling a little overwhelmed right now," Ross Spina, the lodge's president, told Castanet Kamloops.

As COVID-19 cases keep rising in Kamloops, especially at the hospital, Spina and the Colombo community realized just how much of a toll the pandemic is putting on the staff that have to deal with it day in and out.

Giving away 1,000 free pasta meals is just the Italian way since, Spina said.

"Italians like to show they care by — food," he laughed.

This is the second time the lodge has stepped up to provide food to frontline workers, the first being in May — and Spina and the lodge hope it won't be the last.

"If we can have more donors step up, we will definitely do this again — hopefully for other frontline workers in the community. and hopefully in the next few weeks," said Spina.

In addition to the free pasta dinners, the lodge is also restarting its Colombo Cares program on Feb. 17. The non-profit organization Colombo will be supporting this time is Refugees And Friends Together.

The lodge is also offering weekly specials to the public — lasagna, meatballs and pasta sauce, all for sale through Colombo's online portal.