Ingersoll & Grand Neighbors Turn Passion Into Action To Feed Hospital Staff, Help Local Restaurants
A neighborhood project called Together As One DSM launched April 17 and has already purchased and delivered 750 restaurant meals to hospital Todd Kirke and longtime Ingersoll business owners, the Van Ginkels, have been purchasing full-price meals from local restaurants and safely delivering them to UnityPoint Health ER/ICU staff on the front lines of the covid-19 pandemic. Today they are delivering Bauder’s ice cream to Blank Children’s Hospital.
The first restaurant to step up was Star Bar – Kitchen & Cocktails. Owners Mike and Carter Hutchinson say they felt honored to be asked and able to deliver to the hospital. “On top of that, it was a very humbling experience for my sons, 18 and 20, who helped,” says Carter. “It was a win/win for us as a restaurant and for the hospital.”
MercyOne Des Moines is lined up for meals next week, and the goal is to secure the funds to keep it going through May.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to raise funds to pay our local restaurants for the meals as their industry is struggling in these uncertain times,” says Todd Kirke. “We thought, why not feed our frontline heroes in the hospitals like a program we saw in California and viola! We have raised close to $7,500, to buy meals from eight local restaurants. That’s flat-out awesome!”
Cost is around $10 per meal. The group has lined up restaurants for the next 2 weeks, serving meals on Mondays and Fridays. So far, the list includes:
4/17 Star Bar – Kitchen & Cocktails
4/24 Gusto Pizza and Crème Cupcake
4/27 LaMie – Feeding 100 at MercyOne
4/29 Bauder’s ice cream for Blank Children’s Hospital
5/1 Manhattan Deli – Feeding 100+ at MercyOne
5/4 Ted’s Coney Island
5/7 The Cheese Bar 
Meals have been delivered to:
- UnityPoint Health…ER/ICU, Blank and Covid floors.
- MercyOne Health-this Friday and next week ER/ICU and Covid floors
- Broadlawns Medical Center-ER and ICU
- DMFD Station 5 and DMPD-next week
- Lutheran Hospital
The Ingersoll Price Chopper has donated snacks, fresh fruit and paperware, and the Van Ginkels have printed and donated t-shirts for sale.
Payment options:
1) Send a check to Jenn Kirke/Together As One DSM for mobile deposit.
2) Venmo @Jenn-Kirke…she just got the Venmo card and it is so much easier than waiting for the newly created Together As One DSM Venmo that is taking 7 days transfer funds.
3) You may also call the restaurant and pay them directly.
For questions…call Jenn and Todd Kirke at 707-5386 or e-mail togetherasonedsm@gmail.com.
Updates are posted on the Together As One Facebook and Instagram pages.
