Shipt for seniors: New program offers grocery perks
However, cliché, necessity is the mother of invention.
An example was unveiled Thursday with the Macomb County Office of Senior Services’ announcement of a new partnership with Shipt, which will offer county residents over the age of 60 a free one-year membership to the online grocery service.
The idea grewout of services provided to seniors during the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m very excited about the program,” said Sheila Cote, director for the Macomb County Office of Senior Services during a press conference at the Meijer in Mount Clemens, which is one of the stores participating in the new program.
Other stores will include CVS, Target and likely even more in the future.
“Our goal is to reduce virus exposure risk for seniors by having groceries delivered directly to their homes,” Cotes said. “With winter and flu season approaching, Macomb County hopes to provide seniors with a safe way to get essential needs.”
Macomb County Office of Senior Services Shipt For Services program with the delivery service is the first of its kind in the country.
But it’s not the first creative idea Cote’s office has had.
At the start of the pandemic, volunteer services for programs like Meals on Wheels had to be halted for fear of exposing volunteers and the seniors they serve to the virus leaving Cote and her teamon their own.
One of the first things they did was call the seniors they serve to find out how they were coping with the crisis.
“They told us they needed someone to do their grocery shopping,” Cote said, as they were out of essential care items such food, soap, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, paper towels and tissue.
She and her team responded along with the help of several county agencies by distributing care packages to seniors in need. Since then, more than 1,000 care packages have been delivered, and what began as a necessity during the pandemic, funded by CARES Act dollars, has become a permanent outreach program. The agency is also in the process of creating a call center that will continue to reach out to seniors on a weekly and monthly basis.
The Shipt For Seniors program, as with the care packages, will be covered by CARE Act dollars totaling $135,000.
Shipt provides same day grocery delivery from local stores via a community of reliable shoppers. When a membership is activated, a user can order groceries through Shipt’s app or website using either their phones or computers and Shipt will deliver the order straight to the user’s homes. The free memberships for Macomb County seniors will be provided on a first- come, first-serve basis
while supplies last.
“We’re proud to partner with Macomb County to make it easy for seniors to skip the store and get groceries brought right to their door,” said Eric Stoner, director of business partnerships for Shipt. “For seniors staying home during this uncertain time, a Shipt shopper can search the aisles for them and help ensure they have fresh food and household essentials.”
Throughout the pandemic, Shipt has provided shopper safety and support by providing PPE and COVID-19 financial relief support for team members temporarily unable to work due to testing COVID-19 positive, having a member of their household diagnosed or under a mandatory quarantine order.
“Shoppers are provided with healthy hygiene habits recommended by the Center for Disease Control and encouraged to make noncontact deliveries,” a release stated.
Anyone interested in signing up for the free membership is encouraged to contact the Macomb County Office of Senior Services, at 586- 4695228, by Nov. 10, 2020.
“We have operators standing by,” said Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel. “The holidays are coming up. What a great gift idea this would be? Seniors have to pay for their groceries but the shipping is being paid by the grant process.”
Hackel noted while the first round of memberships will be limited, if there’s a need down the road the county will look into ways to extend the program.
For seniors who are not computer or app savvy, help will be provided.
“We understand that signing up for new digital services can be challenging, and that’s why our office of senior services is standing by to help,” Cote said. “If you are interested in this program, or if you have a parent or loved one who might be interested, please contact our team for assistance.”