(MURFREESBORO) The staff at Republic Services at the Middle Point Landfill have been uniting to support local restaurants during this challenging period of COVID-19.

For the past several weeks, Republic has been providing meals for employees at both Middle Point Landfill and the local hauling division. Meals are being sourced from local restaurants and small business customers throughout Rutherford County.

Middle Point General Manager Jeremy Jernigan said, "We are using local restaurants to provide our team with lunch. On Fridays, we send every employee home with a family dinner pack. It's a way of showing our appreciation to our employees and to local businesses in our community."

Jernigan said Republic has spent over $20,000 with local restaurants in recent weeks, including The Alley on Main, Slick Pig BBQ, Kinfolks BBQ and Spooky's Pizza.

He noted, "We're part of this community and, in these difficult times, we're proud to do our part to support our customers and local businesses,. Our employees enjoy the meals and they take pride in doing their part to support their neighbors."