Grocery order service – Self-isolating has been challenging for many people in different ways. When it comes to ordering groceries online, it has become especially difficult for seniors and people with compromised immune systems. Beside from it being hard for many of them to navigate the websites, the stores are overwhelmed with the increase of online orders. People have been finding themselves waiting for several days and more to receive their goods – and they are unable to wait that long. Going to the stores and shopping for themselves is out of the question. However, people like Maya Astrologo, who has an Instagram account @MtlFoodie (about ‘food, drink, recipes, restaurants and other important stuff’) decided to do something about it. She wanted to reach out and help get food to these people – and ‘MTL Foodie Runs’ was born. Along with a group of volunteers that are located in different areas of the city, they not only started doing grocery deliveries, but also shopping for them.
“I wanted to support the Montreal community and make a meaningful contribution during these difficult times. People who must self-isolate have turned to online grocery orders and delivery services, but the problem is that now grocery stores are struggling to keep up with all the unexpected online orders. I wanted to come up with a way to help mitigate the waiting time of these orders for people who really need it,” she explains.
How does Montreal grocery order service for seniors work?
“Simply put, people send us their grocery list, and we will shop and deliver their items to them for a small charge of $5 (to cover the fuel costs for our volunteers). To begin, they can go on our website (see link below) and click on ‘Order a Delivery’. They fill out the entire form, which includes their information, their chosen grocery store, and their grocery list items. Once we receive their request, we will call, text or email them to confirm the request. We will then find a volunteer who can pick up and deliver the items. We will pay for the groceries, and ask for a reimbursement after the purchase. The receipt will be sent to the individual via text or email with our website link to make a reimbursement. Payment should be made before the the delivery of the items. The volunteer will then successfully drop-off the groceries.”
(*Payment for the groceries and the $5 delivery fee can be made on their website through PayPal or a debit/credit card. They ask you to consider that they are charged about 3% by PayPal, so any extra payment to help cover those costs would be appreciated. They can also ‘carefully’ accept cash at the door, but do not carry change).
Are there restrictions of what people can place on their list?
“We ask that people only order necessities and limit their grocery list to 15 items. We also ask that people try to be specific, such as mentioning brands or quantities when necessary.”
How long will it take?
“We will work as quickly as we can to get your order in a timely matter, aiming to deliver them within 24 hours. However, we are limited by the number of volunteers available.”
Their mission – “To support the Montreal community and make a meaningful contribution during these difficult times.” No matter the amount of deliveries we will make, we will have still made a difference – Maya Astrologo, Founder. To place an order or to volunteer go to: www.mtlfoodieruns.com or email them at mtlfoodieruns@hotmail.com
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