During the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous companies and organisations launched initiatives to support frontline workers. These efforts included free products, significant discounts, and special services aimed at healthcare professionals, first responders, and other essential staff. The available offers spanned categories such as food and beverage, footwear and apparel, telecommunications, and accommodation, with eligibility typically requiring verification of the individual's professional status. This article details the specific programmes and offers that were made available, based on the information provided in the source documents.
The initiatives described were largely time-bound, with many offers expiring in May 2020. While some programmes may have been extended or replaced, the details here reflect the information as it was originally communicated. The offers were often managed through verification processes where individuals needed to confirm their status via official websites or by submitting proof of employment. For UK-based consumers, it is important to note that the majority of the documented offers were specifically for frontline workers in the United States, with terms and conditions tied to US-based services and locations.
Food and Beverage Offers
A significant number of offers focused on providing sustenance and convenience to frontline workers. These included free meals, coffee, and food delivery services.
- Starbucks: The coffee chain offered frontline workers and first responders a free tall hot or iced coffee. This offer was valid until 31st May.
- DoorDash: Nurses, doctors, and hospital employees were eligible for 60 days of free Corporate DashPass. This service provided $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees from participating restaurants, along with a safe delivery route and food drop-off at participating hospitals.
- Krispy Kreme: Nurses with valid identification could claim a free dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts every Monday through 12th May.
- Cumberland Farms: This retailer gave away free any-size hot or iced coffees to a wide range of frontline personnel, including nurses, doctors, paramedics, hospital and medical staff, medical researchers, police officers, firefighters, and active military personnel.
- Uber: The company provided free rides for frontline healthcare workers to assist with travel to and from healthcare facilities and patients' homes.
- Fuel the Frontline: This programme facilitated care packages for frontline workers. It offered pre-set rates for packages, such as Happy Box "Thank You" Packages and Just Salad deliveries sent at £30, daytime meal deliveries at £50, and evening meal deliveries at £75. The programme was open to medical and healthcare workers, as well as other at-risk employees securing normalcy, such as doormen and drug store clerks.
Footwear and Apparel Discounts
Recognising the physical demands of frontline work, several footwear and apparel companies provided discounts and free products.
- Crocs: The company gave a free pair of shoes (with free shipping) to healthcare workers on the frontlines of COVID-19. This was a daily giveaway, with new slots becoming available at 12 p.m. ET each day, and it was known to reach its daily limit quickly.
- Reebok: Verified nurses, first responders, teachers, military personnel, and government employees could receive a 50% discount.
- Medelita: This clothing company, which specialises in scrubs and lab coats, offered a 30% discount using the code FRONTLINES.
- Dagne Dover: The company offered a 20% discount to teachers, troops, veterans, and healthcare workers.
- ThirdLove: A 15% discount code was available to educators, first responders, healthcare workers, and military personnel, applicable to any item on the site.
- Nike: Medical professionals and first responders could receive a 20% discount after verifying their status. The discount could be used up to four times every 30 days, but required re-verification for each new promo code.
- Rothy's: After verifying their positions, teachers, first responders, and healthcare workers (including doctors, nurses, and hospital staff) could receive a one-time 20% discount. This offer was valid until 31st December 2020.
- Merrell: The company offered 20% off for first responders, nurses, police, firefighters, and military personnel with ID verification.
- Danform Shoes: This retailer provided 20% discounts on footwear purchases for healthcare workers while physical stores were closed.
Telecommunications and Connectivity Support
To maintain connectivity, several telecommunications companies offered discounts, free plans, and repair services.
- Verizon: The company provided discounts to nurses starting 23rd April. In addition to free additional data, nurses could enjoy up to $40 off when combining Verizon unlimited wireless and Fios internet plans.
- Sprint: This provider offered free expedited shipping, waived activation fees on Sprint.com, and Sprint Perks to healthcare workers on the front lines.
- AT&T: The company announced it would offer nurses and physicians three free months on their FirstNet Mobile - Responder plan.
- Samsung: Free repairs on Samsung phones, including cracked screens and battery replacements, were offered to frontline healthcare workers with valid ID. This offer included nurses, doctors, hospital workers, EMTs, police officers, and firefighters and was valid through 30th June while supplies lasted.
Accommodation and Travel Offers
For travel nurses and those needing a place to isolate, several hotel chains and platforms offered free or discounted stays.
- Airbnb: The platform waived all its fees up to the first 100,000 frontline responders invited to book. This offer was valid until 31st May.
- Hilton Hotels: In collaboration with American Express, Hilton donated up to 1 million free hotel room nights across the U.S. to nurses, doctors, EMTs, paramedics, and other frontline healthcare staff. This offer was valid until the end of May.
- Marriott: The hotel group teamed up with American Express and JPMorgan Chase to offer free hotel stays in some of the most impacted areas, as well as discounted rates at nearly 2,500 hotels.
- Choice Hotels: The company offered a "Choice Cares" special rate for nurses, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, food/agriculture workers, transit employees, and others outlined by CISA guidelines. Bookings of up to 9 nights were permitted under this special rate.
- Red Roof Inn: A limited number of available rooms were donated to first responders, including nurses, doctors, firefighters, police, and emergency medical providers through 31st May. Bookings required calling a participating hotel directly. The company also always offered a 20% discount to first responders.
Additional Discounts and Services
Other miscellaneous offers included fuel discounts and vehicle repairs.
- Cumberland Farms (Fuel): To receive a 15 cent per gallon discount for 60 days, individuals needed to verify their ID online to receive a single-use discount code.
- Yeti: The company offered special pricing and discounts to nurses, first responders, military, and government employees.
Eligibility and Verification Processes
Access to these offers was contingent upon verifying one's professional status. The verification methods varied by company but generally fell into two categories: online registration and submission of proof.
For online registration, individuals were typically required to register an email on the company's website. For example, to access Crocs' daily free shoe giveaway, users had to register their email and then send an email with proof of their position. Similarly, for the Cumberland Farms fuel discount, verification was completed online to receive a discount code.
Submission of proof often involved providing identification or official documentation. Companies like Nike and Rothy's required users to verify their status before a discount code could be issued. For physical offers, such as the free coffee at Cumberland Farms or the free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, nurses needed to present valid identification at the point of collection.
It is important to note that many of these verification processes were designed for US-based workers. The required identification and the specific verification platforms were often tailored to US employment systems and documentation. Therefore, frontline workers in the UK may have found these particular offers inaccessible due to geographical and procedural restrictions.
Conclusion
The provided source material documents a range of time-sensitive offers from 2020 that were created to support frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. These initiatives covered essential needs such as food, comfortable clothing, connectivity, and temporary accommodation. The offers were largely available to verified healthcare professionals, first responders, and other essential staff, primarily in the United States. For individuals seeking similar support, it is advisable to check directly with brands and organisations for any current or new programmes, as the offers detailed here have largely expired. The information presented is based solely on the specific terms and conditions communicated in the source documents.