When Covid-19 forced communities
into quarantine and governors issued “stay-at-home” orders, our lives became
unpredictable. It was in these circumstances that an executive from a large
retail outlet, able to work from her home office during the pandemic, arranged
for home grocery delivery for a homeless family. This family was fortunate to
receive a temporary apartment home from a social service agency so that they
could stay together and safely observe “social distancing” directives and not
be crowded into large shelter spaces. The father in this family had been
working at a warehouse as a fork-lift operator even while the family
experienced homelessness. But as contracts for his place of employment began to
dry up, so did the work, and like millions of other Americans, he lost his job.
The groceries were an unexpected
grace for this family. Although many people were avoiding grocery stores to
stay away from unnecessary crowds, this family did not have a car, and had no
money to buy groceries or gas even if they’d had one. They had been eating
whatever staples they could get from food banks, but even these items were
becoming scarce. The fresh fruits and vegetables delivered from a local grocery
store at the command of a retail executive was a special treat for a family who
hadn’t seen a fresh apple or pear in weeks.
Delivery service was once a luxury
available only to those who could afford to pay extra. The retail executive
knew how to quickly order these items because she’d used the same service for her
family many times before the pandemic took hold. Now delivery services seemed
like the best way to safely get groceries for a hungry family. But it was only
safe for those inside their homes, clicking away at their computers. The
delivery person was a gentleman living with HIV. If he contracted Covid-19, it
would almost certainly kill him, but he didn’t have health insurance and
couldn’t afford to quit his job. So, he packed the bags of groceries and
delivered them to families in their homes at personal risk to himself.
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