Covid-19 Appreciation Offers Freebies And Discounts For Healthcare Heroes

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical role healthcare workers play in society, often at great personal risk. In recognition of their sacrifices and dedication, numerous companies have stepped forward to offer freebies, discounts, and special programs as tokens of appreciation. These offerings span various categories including food and beverages, apparel, healthcare resources, mental health support, and professional services. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the COVID-19 appreciation offers available to healthcare workers, based on verified information from multiple sources.

Food and Beverage Freebies

Several food and beverage companies have extended appreciation offers to healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Krispy Kreme: The popular donut chain offered two boxes of glazed donuts free to healthcare workers every Monday, beginning on March 30th (Doctor's Day) and continuing through May 12th. Workers needed to show their badge to qualify for this offer.

• Sheetz: This convenience store chain provided a free extra kick of coffee to nurses and first responders. The offer was available through June 1, 2020, at locations across the country, and included hospital workers, police officers, firefighters, and paramedics.

• Starbucks: The coffee giant offered free coffee to customers who identify as frontline workers to the COVID-19 outbreak.

• Snickers: The candy brand made coupons for free Snickers bars available to essential workers, which could be validated at Walmart. Customers could visit sendasnickersfromhome.com to send a coupon to an essential worker.

• Verb: Healthcare workers in all 50 states could text 415-915-8372 to receive free Verb Bars delivered to their door.

These food and beverage offerings provided tangible support to healthcare workers during particularly challenging periods of the pandemic, offering both nourishment and moments of enjoyment during demanding shifts.

Apparel and Footwear Offers

Numerous apparel and footwear companies extended special offers to healthcare workers:

• Crocs: The shoe company donated a free pair of shoes (with free shipping) to healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. Healthcare workers could claim their free pair through a dedicated process.

• Barco Uniforms: This medical apparel industry leader donated scrubs to medical professionals on the frontlines for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. Interested individuals could submit a request through their website.

• Clove: The shoe brand included free compression socks with every Clove purchase. Customers could add a pair of socks to their cart containing shoes and use code WITHLOVE to receive the discount.

• Ably Apparel: First responders could tag themselves on Ably's Instagram page starting April 8th, and the company would send them a free item from their website.

• Kerusso: First responders received a 10% discount on anything in their store as a token of gratitude for their work.

• Tieks by Gavrieli: This Los Angeles-based shoe brand launched a campaign called the #SewTOGETHER Challenge, offering a $50 Tieks gift card to anyone who sews 25 masks and a $100 gift card for sewing 50 or more masks for frontline workers.

• Fabled: This women's medical apparel brand offered a discount to healthcare workers, though specific details about the discount percentage or process were not fully specified in the sources.

• Nursemates: Healthcare workers could sign up to receive 15% off purchases including masks.

• Jim Coleman Store: This retailer created special shirts and water bottles for sale specifically for healthcare heroes.

These apparel and footwear offerings recognized the practical needs of healthcare workers while also providing comfortable and professional options for their demanding work environments.

Healthcare and Training Resources

Several organizations provided free healthcare resources and training opportunities to medical professionals:

• IntelyCare: This workforce management solution for post-acute facilities launched a free COVID-19 training certification program for nursing professionals. Upon completion, participants also received one free contact hour.

• American Nurses Association (ANA): The ANA offered a free 68-minute webinar for registered nurses entitled "Be Confident Protecting Yourself and Providing the Best Care to Your Patients During this COVID-19 Pandemic." They also provided additional COVID-19 training resources.

• American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: This organization offered a free online course titled "Pulmonary, ARDS, and Ventilator Resources," available 24/7 and featuring the latest information nurses needed to provide care for patients with COVID-19.

• Osmosis: This platform provided multiple COVID-19 resources for health professionals, including:

  • A free COVID-19 course eligible for 2 CME credits
  • Free clinical skill videos on related topics such as imaging features and body temperature assessment
  • Free events including meditation and yoga sessions, and AMA sessions hosted by their Chief Medical Officer

• Orbit CME: This organization offered a $100 credit to healthcare workers.

• Preppi: This company donated N95 masks to healthcare workers in need.

• Print For the Cure: This organization provided faceshields, mask straps, and door openers to healthcare workers.

These resources proved particularly valuable during the pandemic when healthcare workers needed to quickly update their knowledge and skills to provide the best possible care while protecting themselves and their patients.

Mental Health Support

Recognizing the mental health challenges healthcare workers faced during the pandemic, several organizations offered support services:

• Talkspace: This mental health platform provided a free month of therapy for doctors, nurses, social workers, and frontline workers. To access this benefit, individuals needed to register with an NPI number and/or work badge after downloading the Talkspace app.

• FJOLK: This shoe company offered to provide a free pair of shoes to healthcare workers. Interested individuals could email [email protected] to request a pair from the FJOLK community.

• Osmosis: In addition to clinical resources, Osmosis offered free events including meditation and yoga sessions to support healthcare workers' mental well-being.

These mental health support services acknowledged the emotional toll that the pandemic took on healthcare workers and provided accessible resources for self-care and stress management.

Professional Services and Discounts

Beyond direct products and services, several companies offered professional discounts and services:

• Accruent Advisors: This financial services company offered a complimentary 30-minute session with one of their financial advisors to anyone working in the medical field in the Winston-Salem area. During these sessions, healthcare professionals could ask financial questions and receive professional recommendations and advice free of charge.

• LinkBuildingHQ: This marketing company acknowledged the efforts of frontline workers by offering a 15% discount on marketing services for their online presence. The discount required the use of coupon code Covid15-LBUS.

• DHAVNI: This company offered free masks to healthcare workers who requested them.

These professional services recognized that healthcare workers, like other professionals, have various needs beyond their immediate medical work, and aimed to provide support in those areas as well.

Special Recognition Events

Some companies timed their appreciation offers around specific recognition events:

• National Nurses Week (May 6-12): During this week, which commemorates Florence Nightingale's birthday, many restaurants and stores showed extra appreciation to nurses and healthcare workers. The celebration came at a time when members of the National Nurses United were protesting to call attention to thousands of healthcare workers who had become infected with COVID-19 due to lack of personal protective equipment.

Many of the deals available during National Nurses Week were already in effect before the week began, and typically required a valid form of identification to participate. Participation and offers varied by location, reflecting the decentralized nature of these appreciation programs.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic inspired an outpouring of appreciation for healthcare workers, manifested through numerous freebies, discounts, and special programs offered by companies across various industries. These offerings ranged from practical items like masks and scrubs to morale-boosting treats like free donuts and coffee, along with valuable professional resources including training courses and mental health support.

While many of these offers were time-limited and tied to specific periods of the pandemic, they represented meaningful gestures of gratitude for healthcare workers' extraordinary efforts. The variety of available options ensured that different needs and preferences could be addressed, whether for professional development, personal comfort, mental well-being, or simply a moment of enjoyment during challenging times.

For healthcare workers seeking to access these offers, the common requirement was verification of professional status through identification badges or credentials. As the pandemic evolved, many of these offers were updated or extended, reflecting the ongoing nature of healthcare workers' contributions and challenges.

Sources

1. Freebies for Frontline Healthcare Workers during COVID-19
2. Appreciation Freebies for Healthcare Workers
3. Saying Thanks to Frontline Workers: Freebies and Discounts for Our Healthcare Heroes
4. Freebies and discounts for nurses during National Nurses Week
5. Offers, Freebies, and Discounts for Healthcare Workers