HOMETOWN HEROES: ER nurse, wife put restaurant dreams on hold to cook for community

BOOTHWYN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- A Delaware County couple who had to put their business on hold due to the pandemic used their skills to help others in need.

The "coming soon" sign outside of one restaurant in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania has been up since March.

Marion Grayson and her wife, Colleen Peden, wanted to start selling their home cooking at Matilda's Country Kitchen in April.

"Then of course, what are you going to do? You can't open a restaurant during a global pandemic," said Grayson, a co-owner of the restaurant.

Suddenly, Colleen found herself on the frontlines. She had been an ER nurse at Crozer-Chester Medical Center for 30 years, but nothing could compare to what COVID-19 had in store.

"Nobody else was going to do it and it's what I do. It's why I'm here," said Peden.

"You know how your spouse is feeling. I can tell. If you come and she would be worn, she would be stressed," said Grayson.

With the stress and worry of a global pandemic on their shoulders, their dream took a backseat, but the couple didn't stop cooking.

They've donated their skills to feed hundreds of people supper at their church each month and also volunteered for "Delco Feeds the Frontlines."

"It's a way of taking care of each other. Even if I can't help, even if we can't help with something like a bill, I can feed ya," said Grayson.

Finally, after a months-long delay, Matilda's Country Kitchen should open next month.

"It tastes just like grandmom used to make, that's kind of the feeling we want," said Grayson.

After the restaurant opens, Peden says she'll keep working at the hospital, too. After all these years, serving and giving back are second nature to her.

"That's how I was raised. When you have it, you should give it out and that's what you should do," she said.