I’ll start by introducing myself. My name is Patrick J. Rhodes, and I provide free meals to my local healthcare heroes. My life journey began in Gary, Indiana, where I was born into a military family. Because of my family’s service, I moved frequently, calling several states my home. Through all those changes, strong morals and good character were instilled in me from an early age. I was taught to trust God even when I didn’t fully understand how, and as I grew older, I realized that having faith and being a man of your word would guide me toward a better life.
Eventually, my family set their sights on Florida as a place to retire. I grew to love the Sunshine State, though I had to adjust to the warm climate. Finding a stable career wasn’t easy—I worked a series of temporary and minimum-wage jobs, knowing that a man must work hard to succeed. My breakthrough came in 2008 when I landed a job in loss mitigation. It was during this time that I was first introduced to the power of social responsibility. A few times each month, I volunteered at local events, and something incredible happened: I felt a deep sense of purpose I had never experienced before. It was a feeling of truly being alive.
Fast forward to the beginning of 2020. No one could have predicted what was about to happen. When I first heard about Covid-19, my heart sank. This invisible virus was spreading rapidly and taking lives across the globe. I’ll never forget the night I turned on the television and saw nurses and doctors covered from head to toe in personal protective equipment (PPE). Until that moment, I hadn’t truly considered the long hours and immense sacrifices our healthcare workers make every single day. The pandemic opened my eyes and my heart to the dedication of these frontline heroes, and the very next day, I knew I wanted to do something to help.
I began by searching online for local hospitals in my area and found one main facility with several locations throughout the city. I located the contact email for the donations department and sent a message expressing my admiration for healthcare workers and my desire to buy a few of them lunch that week. To my surprise, I received a reply the very same day. The donations coordinator was thrilled that someone wanted to show support. That weekend, I arranged for three large pizzas to be delivered to one of the hospital locations. I had a few extra dollars to spare, and it was a joy to offer even this small gesture of gratitude.
A few days later, I received a heartfelt email from the foundation coordinator, complete with a photo of the staff enjoying the pizzas. My heart swelled. I knew immediately that I wanted to do it again the following week. I spoke with my wife, and she eagerly agreed to pitch in. Soon, we were sending pizza deliveries every week to different hospital locations in the surrounding area.
To expand the effort, I created a campaign called Lunch For #HealthcareHeroes. I reached out to everyone I knew via text and Facebook, asking for donations to provide meals for these heroes. I stopped referring to them as “workers”—they were true heroes in every sense of the word. Thanks to the incredible generosity of friends, family, and colleagues, donations poured in, and I was able to organize weekly lunch deliveries. This mission gave me a profound sense of purpose, and I dedicated myself fully to it.
The foundation coordinator made every delivery seamless and organized. Covid restrictions meant I couldn’t personally hand meals to the heroes at first, which was tough, because I longed to thank them face-to-face. After a few months, my social presence began to grow under the persona Patrick “The Giver.” I created a website, Twitter, and Instagram to share these acts of kindness and inspire others.
A few months later, something incredible happened. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson noticed my efforts and wanted to contribute. He and his team sent over 200 meals and beverages to our local hospital for well-deserving frontline heroes. This unexpected gesture lifted my spirits and reinforced my determination to continue.
Local recognition soon followed. News outlets began covering my story, and I built relationships with restaurants and businesses throughout the area. I reached out to numerous organizations via email, simply asking if they wanted to support our healthcare heroes—and time and time again, they said yes.
By January 2021, I boldly tweeted that I planned to hand-deliver over 2,021 free meals to healthcare heroes. At the time, I had no idea how I would manage this. My car was an older coupe with very limited space—hardly enough to carry even a fraction of that number of meals. But the universe works in amazing ways. One organization reached out, offering to help me reach—and even exceed—my goal. My heart leapt with joy. This was nothing short of a miracle.
To date, I have personally hand-delivered roughly 590 free meals to healthcare heroes at Advent Health Tampa and James A. Haley Veterans Hospitals. Looking back, it all began with just a few pizzas. I feel incredibly blessed to be healthy and surrounded by people who love and support me. My mission continues this year with the goal of providing 2,021 free meals to our local healthcare heroes. Let’s go make a difference—together.
