Volunteers offer free grocery delivery for shut-ins, people who are in need
Trying to spread word of service through community agencies
In mid-March when it was apparent COVID-19 would have a backbreaking impact on the community, Ahmed Bagit wanted to help.
Now, he and some friends are offering free pickup and delivery of groceries to homes across
Niagara, for people who need assistance.
“In a nutshell, the way it works is that if you are able to navigate your way through, say, walmart.ca, I will ask you to order your items and do your online shopping,” said Bagit, a fourth-year medical sciences student at Brock University.
Provide him with the pickup date, receipt number and a home address, “and we would send out a volunteer to pick up your items.
“We do no-contact, so we leave it at your door and have the volunteer call the client to confirm the delivery has been made. We try to minimize contact.”
If people are unable to do their shopping online, he can help them with that, too, he said. With Hanan Awadh and Ahmed Ahmed, friends from the Masjid Al Noor mosque in St. Catharines, Bagit worked through Penny Appeal Canada, which has organized other similar campaigns across the country under the Canadian Muslim Response Network. The Niagara group has about 10 volunteer drivers ready to go.
Now, they are reaching out to churches, synagogues, other mosques and community
groups to spread the word about their free service.
Awadh said she joined because she sensed a feeling of helplessness, with people forced to remain indoors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
“I heard about this and thought, yeah, that would be perfect,” she said. “They can stay at home and be safe and people who are a little healthier can pick up groceries for them and maybe give them a distant visit, kind of.”
Through her job with Niagara Health, she’s well aware of the impact of COVID-19. Her hospital department maintains and distributes instruments used in medical procedures such as suture removal and hip replacement.
“Basically, all the reusable items go through our department” to be disinfected, sterilized and packed for re-use, she said.
For the grocery service, she is helping recruit volunteer drivers. Right now all of Niagara is covered except Niagara-onthe-Lake and Fort Erie. The hard part, she said, is spreading the word that the volunteers are ready to help.
“I think we’re facing a challenge because we’re trying to reach vulnerable groups and the elderly, and sometimes they are not connected with social media and the internet.”
To receive free delivery of groceries, phone 289-668-7833.
“I heard about this and thought, yeah, that would be perfect.”
HANAN AWADH
FRIEND FROM MASJID AL NOOR MOSQUE