Patrick Rhodes, aka “Patrick the Giver,” is a man with a mission. After delivering more than 600 meals to healthcare workers in the Tampa area in 2020, he set out to deliver 2,021 meals this year. He wasn’t sure how he would do it, but he knew he could; after all, a simple act of kindness in March of 2020 had led him to this point.
It all started with three frozen pizzas as the COVID-19 pandemic was sweeping across the country. Rhodes had seen a news story about stressed-out healthcare professionals working overtime in his community when an idea struck.
“I Googled hospitals in Tampa and found AdventHealth, so I called and told the person on the other end that I wanted to bring pizzas to some of their staff for lunch,” Rhodes said. “The foundation coordinator called me back, so grateful for the gesture. She helped me get my foot in the door.”
Taking an hour off from his day job as an underwriter in the auto industry, he brought a few pizzas to clinic workers one day during his lunch break, and then a few more another day, and even a few more another day. With support from his family and friends, Rhodes delivered more than 600 meals to healthcare workers in his community by the end of 2020. He also gained the attention of Dwayne The Rock Johnson.
But he didn’t only bring pizzas. One day after delivering Arby’s to healthcare workers, Rhodes tagged the restaurant in an Instagram post. Arby’s took note of his mission and began to provide support. “Arby’s really stepped up, so when I set my 2021 goal, I asked if they’d like to help me reach it,” said Rhodes. “Inspire Brands Foundation replied offering help from their other brands, too.”
“We are so thrilled to be partnering with Patrick and helping him reach his goal,” Catherine Stranberg, community impact manager at Inspire Brands Foundation, said. “It’s such a great cause, and our restaurant teams in the Tampa area have rallied around Patrick and his mission.”
With the support of the local restaurant teams, Rhodes delivers meals during his lunch hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays, rotating between Arby’s, Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Jimmy John’s. He also delivers breakfasts from Dunkin’ on Saturdays and always has brand specific t-shirts with the hashtag #PatrickTheGiver to wear and give away.
Since the partnership with Inspire Brands, Rhodes has been able to deliver 200 meals each month split between two hospital systems – AdventHealth Tampa and James A. Haley Veterans Hospital – plus 50 meals on Saturdays from Dunkin’.
To date, Patrick has delivered 2,255 meals to healthcare workers – exceeding his initial goal of 2,021! “I’ll be honest, when I set this goal, I wasn’t sure how I’d meet it, but I knew I would. When Arby’s and Inspire Brands reached out to me, it validated what I was doing,” Rhodes said. “I’m a firm believer that everything happens the way it’s supposed to, and I couldn’t be more grateful for Inspire’s faith in me. With their help, I have blown past my goal.”
You can follow #PatrickTheGiver’s journey on Twitter and Instagram and learn more about him at PatrickTheGiver.com.
