Santa Clarita Grocery offers local seniors drive-thru groceries pickup as part of ongoing efforts to reduce food insecurity.
In light of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s become even harder for seniors to access fresh groceries. Santa Clarita Grocery, a non-profit Santa Clarita food pantry, aims to help seniors stay safe and healthy by providing a drive-thru groceries pick-up service.
Santa Clarita Grocery is located at 21176 Centre Point Parkway, Suite 330 in Santa Clarita, California. The food pantry has set aside a block of time on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. specifically devoted to serving seniors.
Related: Santa Clarita Food Pantry Offers Year-Round Support To Reduce Food Insecurity
This drive-thru groceries service allows seniors to pick up fresh groceries without leaving their car, keeping them away from crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.
In a recent episode of the KHTS Radio show “The Senior Hour,” Santa Clarita Grocery Owner Bradley Grose and Head of Communications Jill Carr discussed the non-profit’s new drive-thru groceries service.
“Our guests don’t even have to exit their cars,” Carr explained. “A volunteer shopper will assist them.”
Carr described the process as one in which seniors are greeted by a staff member upon arrival. The staff member will “come out and assist them and take physical distancing seriously as they work with the guest.”
Additionally, Carr noted that seniors who don’t have access to a vehicle can designate a “proxy driver” to “shop on their behalf and pick up their groceries and deliver directly to them.”
Seniors who aren’t able to drive and don’t have access to a “proxy driver” are still able to access this service by making use of Santa Clarita Transit’s Dial-A-Ride transportation service for pickup of groceries.
“We provide cold water and chairs for them while they’re waiting for their transportation, so they’re at least being cared for during that one-hour period (between dial-a ride drop-off and pickup),” said Grose.
Grose said that while the drive-thru groceries service is relatively new, they’re already serving 125 seniors per month. This allows seniors to avoid long lines and get back to their homes quickly and safely with fresh groceries to last for the week.
“We’re just trying to bring in efficiency so that we can meet the demand and not have longer lines,” Grose said. “So really, it’s a supply-demand challenge that we look at daily and very closely.”
Carr explained that seniors are especially vulnerable to changes in the economy due to often being on “fixed incomes.” As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on the economy, Carr said she expects the number of seniors who rely on options like Santa Clarita Grocery’s drive-thru groceries service to increase.
“We’re able to meet their needs and help them through the end of each month, just making things a little bit better for them,” Carr said. “I think that population will continue to grow as well, as the word gets out.”
Grose said that the Santa Clarita Grocery headquarters is located near the Oasis Furniture warehouse “in the back side of that parking lot” at 21176 Centre Point Parkway, Suite 330, with a “giant American flag” making the building easy to find.
Seniors are encouraged to take advantage of a dedicated block of time on Wednesdays between 3:30 and 5:00 p.m. to help them avoid long lines. Grocery pickups are meant to last one week, so Grose encouraged seniors to come by weekly to pick up an ice cold water and a weekly helping of fresh groceries.
Santa Clarita Grocery is a non-profit focused on providing food to Santa Clarita families in need. 99 cents per dollar donated goes directly to providing groceries to families across the Santa Clarita Valley, making SCV Grocery one of the most efficient charities in the area. If you would like to help Santa Clarita Grocery in its effort to reduce hunger, please consider donating to us on Paypal.
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