SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - A group of volunteers is working to make sure homebound seniors get the groceries they need during the Coronavirus Pandemic.
"We're just a group of friends that saw our Seniors needed help here in San Diego," says volunteer Sydney Prochnow.
The effort started over the weekend when one of the volunteers saw an older man struggling to buy groceries. That sparked an idea and a flurry of texts. The call to action quickly turned into advocacy.
"We jumped on the chance," says volunteer Joshua Daguman. "People said, 'Hey, I can make a website,' 'I can make a GoFundMe,' 'I can do this.' The next day, within honestly four hours, we're up and running."
They created StayHomeSD, a donation-based, volunteer-run organization that delivers bags of groceries to any senior who asks for help. The service is free.
A GoFundMe donation account pays for the food and delivery costs. Daguman says if the seniors or their families want to pay for what they receive, they're asked to donate to the account.
"The reward is actually the hope we're bringing to people. The joy, not the groceries," says Daguman.
Anyone interested in getting help can sign up online or by phone. StayHomeSD will deliver up to five items per person per week.
Volunteers are screened with background checks and must have a clean driving record. They also work to sanitize all of the items they deliver.
"It's great. People are so happy," says Prochnow. "We've done a lot of deliveries for a lot of people that have been sick."
"It's a lot of a lot of time and effort, but every day you get up, and I'm ready to do it again," says Daguman.
