Volunteers shop for seniors amid coronavirus crisis
Susan Johnstone has been food shopping more than usual during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former proprietor of the Lincoln Room, and wife of Business Improvement District Executive Director Malcolm Johnstone, has been busy shopping for seniors as part of the newly created West Chester Shopping Service.
The all-volunteer food service spearheaded by Mayor Dianne Herrin kicked off Friday and serves those who can’t make it to a grocery store.
“People are very humble,” Johnstone said. “I don’t want anybody to go hungry. When I ask people for their list, they only give me the bare necessities.
“Nobody has asked for snack foods or desserts.”
Since it was Easter week, Johnstone included something special – jelly beans – in the three orders she shopped for and delivered. She also asked the seniors if they would like her to buy cookies. She said that everyone loves Oreos.
Johnstone said that each of three households has asked for spaghetti, noodles and tomato sauce.
“Everybody likes spaghetti and they can stretch it,” she said. “Everybody knows they can fix it themselves and it’s not expensive.
“It’s a staple.” Johnstone also suggests purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas, if they aren’t already on the list, since they are healthy.
She is a bargain hunter and shops at several stores.
“I want them to be comfortable with my purchases,” she said.
The volunteers, led by Mayor Herrin, and Emily Pisano, administrative assistant to the mayor and Chief of Police, have served six residents as of Monday, with a team of seven volunteers.
“It feels great to protect our seniors who cannot or should not be grocery shopping during the pandemic,” Herrin said. “This service is proving especially helpful right now because grocery store delivery services are backed up with an overwhelming quantity of orders, and deliveries are sometimes significantly delayed. These seniors need their groceries.
“Quite a few citizens have volunteered to shop for our seniors in need, and when I thank them, they instead thank me for giving them an opportunity to be of service. This is just one more example of how caring and selfless the people who live here are. With a community like this, I have no doubt we will pull through this crisis together, and we will be even stronger as a result.”
Kate Shaw is a West Chester resident and West Chester Area School Board member.
She shopped for bananas, ground meat and pie filling during Easter Week.
“It makes me happy to do something,” Shaw said.
Shaw is inspired by “all the amazing things” teachers, parents and students are doing during the pandemic.
“Students are still engaged,” she said. “At least I can do something little like deliver groceries.
“We are letting the elderly people stay in their homes so they don’t get exposed to the virus. I hope more people do it.”
Participants are asked to prepare a list, a budget or order groceries for pick-up.
A volunteer will drop off the groceries outside and collect cash for the purchases. If the senior orders with the grocery store for pick-up they may pay with a credit card. For those in need, a volunteer will visit the West Chester Food Cupboard.
To volunteer, or have someone shop for you, call Emily Pisano at 610-6961930 or email at episano@ west-chester.com.