Restaurants, nonprofits partner to expand Delivering with Dignity to Reno-Sparks

RENO, Nev. — Delivering with Dignity Reno-Sparks, a public service program where volunteers deliver high-quality meals from locally-owned restaurants directly to vulnerable families, officially launched May 4.

The program aims to help those who identify as low-income as well as elderly or immunocompromised receive fresh food without leaving their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic and thereby reduce their risk of exposure to the virus, while also providing job security for restaurant employees.

“Serving those in need during these unprecedented times with fresh, hot food from locally-owned restaurants is undoubtedly a win-win situation,” Chef Mark Estee, restaurateur and Delivering with Dignity partner, said in a May 4 press release. “Those of us representing the participating local restaurants cannot wait to see the invaluable impact Delivering with Dignity will have on both these vulnerable populations and food service workers.”

Establishing its roots in Southern Nevada and spearheaded by Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick along with local community organizations, Delivering with Dignity expanded to Reno-Sparks to help those in need.

The program is supported by Nevada Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall, the United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra, and local community partners.

“It is my honor and pleasure to help bring hope and relief in the form of fresh, warm meals to the lives of our most vulnerable populations in Northern Nevada,” Marshall said during a May 4 press conference in Reno. “I'd like to extend a special thank-you to our volunteers, nonprofit partners, participating local restaurants and supporters who helped make this program a reality for the Reno-Sparks community.”

Delivery with Dignity states that their services are intended for Nevada residents who identify as low-income and who are most at risk according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for contracting COVID-19 if they leave their homes. These groups of people include the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions and family members living in the same household.

The program meets its full potential and expands further with the support of the local community. Interested volunteers and donors are encouraged to visit DeliveringWithDignityRenoSparks.org to learn more.