ROCKLAND — The Good Tern Co-op, at 750 Main Street, now has a Community Shopper Program to ensure that their wide variety of locally-sourced, organic, and other wholesome foods gets into the hands of the elderly, the immune-compromised and anyone otherwise at greater risk of suffering from COVID-19. The program is an effort to reduce public exposure to the most vulnerable population of the community.
The program works by matching volunteers who do the shopping with those in need of groceries. This program is open to everyone. Good Tern Volunteer Coordinator Dana Crane will match shoppers with clients based on where they both live and provide contact information so they can coordinate the details of their shopping trip.
“We’re excited to see there are a lot of folks in our community that really want to help their neighbors through this tough time,” said Crane. “We have a dozen volunteers who have already signed up, after just one post on Facebook.”
Those interested may find more information and sign up for the Community Shopper Program online using these links: https://forms.gle/RaDEZUKaVCVSHnq67 (I Need a Shopper) or https://forms.gle/WVbCBnv6dXNL3MSs7 (I am Able to Shop). Or, prospective volunteers and clients can reach out directly to Crane at membership@goodtern.coop.
Crane quotes one note from a client, “Thank you for setting up the (Community) Shopper Program for me. Your match is perfect. She was able to get everything on my list and breezed through check-out because the cashier was familiar with the program. She called me, and we met on my doorstep. What a great program. And I have a new friend in the neighborhood!”
The Community Shopper Program is an opt-in program. Participants can be removed from the list at any time. Shoppers are volunteers (not working-members) and are not employed by or representatives of the Co-op. The Co-op does not offer payment, discounts, or reimbursement for services, and it is the client’s responsibility to pay the shopper for groceries purchased on their behalf. The Good Tern Co-op is not responsible for coordinating services after individuals are matched.