New food delivery service launched for patients, staff, and visitors to Royal Inland Hospital

Patients, nurses, doctors, and all who have spent time at Royal Inland Hospital are well aware of the ahhYaY Wellness Cafe, but now, it's about to get even better!

The cafe took to Facebook last week to announce they were introducing a food delivery service that would bring nutritious meals to all who needed it in the hospital. ahhYay owner Natalie Peace-Young explained the idea came after numerous suggestions from customers.

"The feedback I was getting was that even if it takes five minutes to walk down from the hospital to our location in the CSB, it's still not quite close enough," said Peace-Young. "Sometimes the doctors don't even get a break, just that five-minute walk is too far for them so it was actually born out of requests from our customers."

"From people who would say 'today, I'm unable to come down, but not every day, and I'd really love to eat like this all the time.' So it was really birthed out of trying to be a service to the people that need it the most."

Anyone in or near the hospital can call or text (250)318-8138 to order from ahhYaY. The cafe uses a square app that allows the payment to be a smooth and easy tap.

Peace-Young mentioned a large reason for the new delivery system was to make sure the hospital staff didn't miss meals. Her first delivery was in the Emergency Room to Dr. Alan Vukusic.

"Our first order was to an emergency room doctor, and bless his heart, he was ordering breakfast at 2 o'clock in the afternoon so we ran him up a breakfast burrito and a coffee... Our second order was all the nurses in labour and delivery, in that department we brought up dinner for all of them."

"He's so busy helping other people that he is sacrificing himself and that is what we're about. As a Wellness Cafe, we just want to take care of people. So this service just feels like a natural progression for what our values are about, and it's about caring for yourself so when you fill your own cup you have more to give."

Peace-Young noted that in addition to RIH, they even deliver to Ponderosa Lodge.

"We'll deliver to Royal Inland Hospital and also the long-term facility Ponderosa Lodge that is right next door to us. We're working on a delivery program to the law courts because the same thing happens with judges and lawyers. They get so busy working on the important stuff that's in front of them and they don't have time to nourish themselves."

"They sacrifice their own health because they're trying to help other people, bless their hearts."

Peace-Young went on to say she hopes more patients will use the service for times when they are unable to make it to the cafe. To this point, no patients have put in for a delivery.

"We haven't had any patients make use of the program just yet, so far it has been just staff... If they don't have our menu they can get it on our website which is ahhYaY.com."

The delivery fee for ahhYay is just $2 for those in the hospital. Their food can also be ordered via the SkipTheDishes app.