Rebecca Berich never set out to be a hero, but a campaign run by a distracted driving app helped place her in the spotlight. Rebecca is a pediatric ICU nurse at University Health System. When COVID- 19, began she had to self-quarantine for 2 weeks out of precaution. During that time, her co-workers and neighbors brought her food when there were shortages of supplies in the grocery stores.

When it was time to go back to work, Rebecca decided she needed to pay it forward.

“I began emailing vendors to put together care packages for hospitals,” Berich said. The need was answered by Duck Donuts, Coffeecionado and the members of The Fashion Group International of San Antonio who decided to donate masks.

“I’m still delivering,” Rebecca said. “I work four nights a week, order the care packages, pick them up the next day, and then deliver on my day off.”

The New York native has been in San Antonio for several years. She packed up her things as an adventure and has never regretted it. She loves San Antonio and working for University Health System. “We are a family,” she says of her team in the Pediatric ICU. “We look out for each other and care for one another.”

When she was nominated by a friend for SAFE 2 SAVE’s “Unmasking A Hero” campaign, she was honored. SAFE 2 SAVE is a rewards-based incentive platform that works to end distracted driving. Rebecca has been a SAFE 2 SAVE user because of what happened to her in her first year of college. “I lost my two best friends to distracted driving. They were still seniors in high school at the time, and they called me to ask if I wanted to go to the mall with them.” Berich declined the invite and learned the next morning that one of them had been texting while driving, and she lost control of the vehicle.

“It rolled three times before it finally stopped. One of my friends was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. The other was airlifted to a hospital but she passed away that night. They were only a month away  from graduating and starting the rest of their lives. I think about them a lot, and it’s because of them that I never use my phone while driving.”

“Rebecca Berich believes in giving and being a part of a community and making a difference both on and off the road,” said Marci Corry, CEO and founder of SAFE 2 SAVE.

You can help end distracted driving by downloading SAFE 2 SAVE on the App Store or Google Play and receive 1000 points to redeem free items plus discounts at local restaurants, retail stores, and more in San Antonio by using the code SAWOMAN.

BY SUZANNE BADGER

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM