Brenda Grasmick, left, and Jennifer Martinez deliver Pampered Chef egg cookers Tuesday to all 242 LAMC employees to thank them for their selfless dedication during pandemic. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com

By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com

Jennifer Martinez is no stranger to charitable giving. In the past, she’s given gifts to healthcare workers and the homeless, but her latest gift venture is by far the largest.

Martinez, a regional representative for Pampered Chef, spearheaded a drive to purchase 242 egg cookers for every employee at Los Alamos Medical Center (LAMC) as a thank you gift for their service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The egg cookers can be popped into the microwave for a quick egg breakfast and can even be used to bake a small cake!

Martinez and her friend Brenda Grasmick delivered the gifts to LAMC Tuesday.

Why did Martinez and Grasmick choose to do this project?

“We both have family members who work at the hospital, and we know they really deserve it!” Martinez said.

“I reached out to the community to make this happen,” Martinez said. “I emailed my Pampered Chef client list and put notices on Facebook. Most of the donations came from northern New Mexico.”

When Grasmick offered to help with the project, Martinez was quick to accept. The two spent six hours just to pack up the cookers as festive gifts.

“If it wasn’t for Brenda and other community people it never would have happened,” Martinez said.

“Jennifer is very humble,” Gasmick said. “I wanted to make sure she and the whole community that helped got recognition.”

Martinez lives in White Rock, where she juggles home teaching and Pampered Chef duties.

Grasmick lives in Pojoaque and works at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

“We’re both really connected to Los Alamos,” Gasmick said.