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This article appeared in The Courier Post on May 19, 2020, written by Carol Comegno. Click here to read it on the Bucks County Herald site.

There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” ― John Holmes

HARRISON TWP. — While working from home, lawyer Brian Fritz sat back and surveyed the coronavirus pandemic impact on society much as he might analyze a legal case.

“Stepping back, I said to myself, restaurants are struggling with only take-out and healthcare workers have responded with a high level of courage as have first responders when there was nothing in their job description saying they might someday have to face a biblical-like plague,” the personal injury lawyer from Mullica Hill explained.

Fritz then decided to applaud these groups with more than verbal accolades. He has taken them on as personal clients in need in a humanitarian gesture of appreciation for their dedicated service.

Using his own money, he has been buying hundreds of hot meals and sandwiches from Camden County and Philadelphia area restaurants and dropping them off as donations to hospitals on both sides of the Delaware River to help feed police and health workers risking their lives to handle patients with the highly contagious coronavirus.

Fritz delivers meals to every major hospital in the region several times a week in a program he calls Livelihoods to Lives. Recently he added the Philadelphia Police Department’s civil affairs unit to his list of recipients.

“It’s important to continue to support our locally owned restaurants and businesses during this time, while also saying thank you to those who are sacrificing so much for the well-being of others,” Fritz said while making one of his hospital deliveries, “because these people are all interwoven within our lives.”

“Our region’s local restaurant owners are going through tough times as we battle this pandemic. Purchasing meals and supplying them to all the great doctors, nurses, healthcare workers and police who put their lives on the line every day to make sure we stay healthy is the least I could do.”

His meal purchases and donations started the week of April 13 and are continuing each week. While he said his law firm — Fritz and Bianculli, where he is the managing partner — supports his efforts and helps with deliveries, it is not contributing toward meal costs.

He said that’s because the firm, which has offices in Mantua and Philadelphia, has been doing its best to retain and pay its employees despite a work slowdown related to the pandemic.

Di’Nic’s Roast Pork & Beef in Mount Ephraim and The Kitchen Consigliere in Collingswood are among the restaurants where Fritz is buying some of the lunches or dinners every week and and then making the deliveries.

“When we got the call from Fritz and Bianculli that they wanted to come here, purchase food and donate to the workers on the frontline, that was the best phone call we got in a long time,” said Joey Fabrizzio, owner of Di’Nic’s Roast Pork & Beef, where Fritz buys chicken cutlets with roasted sweet peppers and broccoli rabe and also veggie sandwiches.

“I think what he is doing is remarkable and I am sure the people on the front line appreciate it.”

The lawyer also buys meals from Scannicchio’s and Oregon Steaks in South Philly, the Bodega Bar in Center City and Macaroni’s in the Northeast and others.

He brings the food to Jefferson Washington Township Hospital and all six Jefferson University Hospital locations in and around Philadelphia; Virtua Voorhees Hospital and Virtua Our Lady of Lourdes in Camden; Inspira Medical Center in Mullica Hill; Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Methodist Hospital in South Philadelphia and Magee Rehabilitation in Center City Philadelphia.

“We are deeply grateful to the many businesses and community members who are generously supporting Virtua Health’s care teams during this crisis,” said Sarah Fawcett-Lee, Virtua senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer.

“This outpouring of support and gratitude is truly inspiring. For those who are looking for information on how to take part, we encourage you to visit www.GiveToVirtua.org.”

Carol Comegno loves telling stories about South Jersey history and our military veterans. Her book, “The Battleship USS New Jersey: From Birth to Berth” is the definitive history of the battleship. If you have a story to share, call her at 856-486-2473 or email ccomegno@gannettnj.com.