BEAVERTON, Ore — A trip to the grocery store has taken on new meaning in the age of coronavirus.
“When it first came, I thought well, we’ve got to do this but, I don’t like going to the store, I mean I love to go do food shopping but not too much anymore,” Regina Brody said.
Brody tried to take precautions whenever she absolutely had to venture out. "I would go to the store on senior hours but I was always very anxious.”
As senior citizens, Brody and her husband are in the at-risk category for complications from COVID-19. “He’s a kidney transplant patient so he is immunosuppressed, he’s in the highest risk category,” Brody said about her husband.
She just needed a safer way to stock up on groceries. That’s when a friend told her about a local teen helping people out during the pandemic and delivering groceries right to their doorsteps.
With school closed and a lot of time on his hands, Westview High School student Neel Jain, made it his goal to help those at-risk of COVID-19 with essential needs.
“When I went to the grocery store, I just saw how some of these elderly people were at risk and I just wanted to find a way to be able to help them." And he did. Last month, the 16-year-old created a free grocery delivery service called PDX Concierge.
“We basically just deliver groceries for free to elderly or immunocompromised people and all they have to do is reimburse us at the door with no other charge or anything," explained Neel.
Brody was sold. She has used the service several times and feels much safer getting her groceries from Neel. “This service is just amazing, I mean he comes and delivers the groceries with a mask and gloves on,” she said.
PDX Concierge has made over 40 deliveries, mostly in Portland and Beaverton. Some of Neel's friends have even joined to help with deliveries and Neel hopes to expand services to other cities in the metro area.
“I learned that you can really make a difference, just small grocery deliveries and it’s just rewarding to be able to see the smile on their face and to just be able to help out." Regina is amazed and grateful that he and his friends are doing this.
If you’re interested, visit their website. PDX Concierge is also looking for volunteers in order to help more people help.