A pre med student from Nevada built a network of “shopping angels” who deliver groceries to seniors who can’t leave their homes due to coronavirus.
During these trying times, a lot of people turned into “angels” as they reached out to people in need and offer help and assistance.
As the virus spreads in more countries and affects thousands of people, panic has been anywhere. We have seen a lot of empty shelves in supermarkets as most people stock up on foods and other necessities. While others are hoarding toilet papers, sanitizers and canned goods, only little is left to the most susceptible citizens, the elderlies.
This scenario made the pre med student Jayde Powell think of a way to help seniors get their necessities without leaving the comfort of their homes.
To make grocery shopping entirely stress-free for seniors, she established a small network of volunteers who would provide free grocery delivery to the elderly and the sick. The idea sparked her mind when her mother asked their elderly neighbors if they needed anything.
“Going to one store could be an all-day affair for an elderly person,” Powell said. “They don’t have money to get gas or energy to go to a lot of stores just to find out they don’t have the basic supplies to last them a couple weeks.”
The network of Shopping Angels started really small with only dozens of members. They roamed around San Reno, delivering goods to seniors’ homes. To protect the elderlies, they don’t enter the houses and they make sure everyone is wearing masks and gloves. They also deliver to people with disabilities and pre-existing conditions as they are most susceptible to the virus.
As the shopping angels kept working on their mission, Powell reached out to more students and also shared their initiative on social media. The response she got was overwhelming but she was glad that more and more people from various states wanted to volunteer. In fact, Las Vegas-based Anderson Dairy also reached out to her to donate dairy products.
Through her phone, email and Facebook, Powell has been connecting volunteers all over the country. She has received immense support for her initiative and she wanted to expand her mission of delivering goods to those who can’t afford them.
Powell believes that there are lots of people in their community who can’t afford food and other household staples. She wanted to help them but apparently, she would need financial support to realize this goal. Hence, she set up a GoFundMe account for this good cause and as of Tuesday morning, she already raised over $5,000.
“We don’t want money to be a deterrent. If you cannot afford toilet paper or something like that, you’re still to reach out to us,” Powell explained.
Though Powell’s idea started amid the coronavirus outbreak, she is positive that this program will last longer once the pandemic is over and everyone’s health is no longer on the line.
To know more about the inspiring story of Shopping Angels, watch this video where Jayde Powell talks more about her initiative: