The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps’ Delivery Service will help people who should stay home receive groceries and critical household goods.
(Barnstable, MA., April 29, 2020) – The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps (MRC), in service to the Barnstable County Incident Command COVID-19 response, is providing a free service delivering prepaid groceries to seniors and people at higher risk for infection. The new program is called Critical Delivery Service.
The initiative consists of over 40 MRC volunteers who will pick up pre-ordered, prepaid groceries from food stores offering curbside pickup options, and deliver to residents in all 15 towns of Barnstable County.
Director of the Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps Diana Gaumond said, “Through inquires sent to Barnstable County’s general COVID-19 email address, we found that there are many seniors who are isolating at home who need help accessing groceries. The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps is happy to help. In fact, within minutes of announcing this initiative internally, MRC Volunteer Carol Billingsley stepped up to fill the role of Delivery Coordinator, and 40 volunteers offered to deliver food to residents in need.”
Gaumond emphasized that volunteers:
- will not be doing personal shopping. (There should be little to no time spent in grocery stores.)
- will not be handling money or credit cards
- will wear a mask at points of pickup and delivery
- will practice good hand hygiene and social distancing.
Instructions for Ordering Food Using the MRC’s Critical Delivery Service
- Call 508-556-7161 Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and speak with an MRC Volunteer. You will provide your name, address, and phone number, and discuss options of stores where you can order.
- A Delivery Volunteer will be assigned to you.
- You will order from the store as instructed, prepaying for the groceries.
- You will confirm the curbside pickup time with your assigned Delivery Volunteer.
- Your Delivery Volunteer will pick up and deliver groceries using safe practices of social distancing, wearing a mask, and not going inside the home.
*The Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps Volunteer can usually provide same day pickup and delivery if the order is phoned in by noon.
See a list of participating grocery stores with pre-ordering and curbside pickup options at https://bit.ly/CCMRC_FOOD.
Slowing the spread of COVID-19 is essential for “flattening the curve” of infections, which will curb the outbreak, prevent hospitals from getting overwhelmed with patients seeking treatment, and ultimately reduce the number of deaths. For current information on the novel coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), please visit the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment’s website: barnstablecountyhealth.org. If you have questions or concerns, please email COVID-19@barnstablecounty.org.
ABOUT THE CAPE COD MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS: The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a national network of volunteers, organized locally to improve the health and safety of their communities. The MRC network comprises approximately 175,000 volunteers in roughly 850 community-based units located throughout the United States and its territories. MRC volunteers include medical and public health professionals, as well as other community members without healthcare backgrounds. MRC units engage these volunteers to strengthen public health, improve emergency response capabilities, and build community resiliency. They prepare for and respond to natural disasters, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, blizzards, and floods, as well as other emergencies affecting public health, such as disease outbreaks. The Cape Cod MRC currently maintains a database of over 300 volunteers from across Cape Cod.