A group of community-minded residents is looking out for essential employees working in Ledyard and Gales Ferry, one freshly cooked meal at a time.

One Ledyard, formed by Alyssa Siegel-Miles, Sue Evarts and Hilary Evans, has been collecting donations of money through its GoFundMe page to pay for a lunch or dinner for essential services in town. Siegel-Miles said she and her cofounders have worked together in town committees and run donation drives, and they wanted to do something for people in town who were in need during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“We can support our local restaurants who are having their own struggles, and for the essential workers it’s such a challenging time... they need our support,” she said. “This is just one thing that can support them and thank them.”

The group has a list of departments and a list of restaurants, and pairings are made based on what restaurants are open when employees would be eating. Evans said each restaurant has different ideas and offerings for the deliveries; Valentino’s, which provided lunch for the Ledyard Police Department on May 19, offered to prepare individual meals for each recipient for $11 per dish.

The inaugural delivery was May 7, when One Ledyard brought pizza and salads from Fireside Brickoven Creations in Gales Ferry to the Ledyard Regional VNA. Karen Goetchius, administrator supervisor, said she and her staff, who care for sick residents throughout town, were honored by the delivery.

“As town nurses, we don’t have the vast resources that hospital-based agencies have, but what we do have is tenacity, professionalism and kindness,” she said in an email. “So when a delicious lunch from Fireside was delivered to our back door, we were moved beyond words that the community recognized us.”

After posting pictures of the VNA delivery on social media, One Ledyard received enough donations in three days to cover two or three more deliveries; as of May 19, the group received $750. They also hosted a kids’ art contest, not only to promote the fundraiser but also to boost spirits in town.

In addition to the deliveries, One Ledyard is also promoting other ways to help the community, posting about area blood drives and the ongoing needs of the Ledyard Food Pantry.

“We’re really hoping this will turn into an effort where we can continue to help people through this crisis for however long it takes,” Evans said.

For more information, visit the GoFundMe page or email oneledyard@gmail.com.

Kindness in Real Life is a regular feature in The Times. To contribute, email times@theday.com.