National group now in central Indiana, working to feed healthcare workers during pandemic

HAMILTON COUNTY (WISH) – A national initiative to help feed healthcare and frontline workers during the pandemic is now in central Indiana.

It’s called FLAG, Front Line Appreciation Group. It was started by two moms in New Jersey on Facebook.

Now, Carmel mom Kristy Murphy wanted to start a group in Hamilton County.

This is the third week and the group has already worked with 11 different restaurants across the county. On average, they’re ordering between 100 and 150 meals at each place.

This week alone the group is delivering lunches every day but Wednesday. They started Monday at Four Day Ray Brewing in Fishers.

More than 100 meals were called in for healthcare workers at an assisted living facility in Fishers and for Carmel firefighters at the six departments across the city.

On average, the cost at each local restaurant is between $1,000 $1,500.

It’s a bigger order than most on a daily basis.

“They’re just smaller and they just don’t have the vast resources that the chains and franchises have,” FLAG volunteer, Murphy said. “I think we all love our local restaurants and we want this to be around when this is all past us and so I think we just started with that initiative that we really wanted to support the people who really need the most support.”

The group has raised $18,000 in donations and after this week will have used $11,000 of that at local establishments.

One hundred percent goes to back to the restaurant.

The group is going to keep going until they run out of money.

If you’d like to donate — you can do so on Venmo: @flaghc. You can also donate via PayPal.