Fort Smith volunteers start grocery delivery service for those in quarantine

A group of volunteers in Fort Smith, N.W.T, are working together to bring groceries to those in self-isolation.

Alex Pryorhas been hearing some concerns from members ofthe St. John's Anglican Church about COVID-19, as cases continued to spread in the provinces.

That's when Pryor, who's a rector at the church, decided to act.

"If the church is who we say we are if we are supposed to be the hands of Christ in the world, then we should be the hands getting your groceries," Pryor said.

'Make sure that everyone is taken care of'

Pryor reached out to Kevin MacDonald, the Northern Store manager and a member of his church, to see what they could do for the community.

A few days later, the store announced on Facebook that it would be delivering grocery store items to seniors, elders and those in quarantine.

• Northern and Northmart stores freezing prices for 60 days

MacDonald said the delivery program is for the good of the community.

"We want to make sure that everyone is taken care of, as much as we can," MacDonald said.

The Northern Store takes orders by phone, then packs all of the groceries into a box for the quarantined people. Staff will ask every caller about their symptoms, whether they've been tested and if they are in self-isolation.

Customers will pay through their existing store accounts, which will limit the human interaction between those delivering groceries and those living in quarantine.

Then, Pryor and his volunteers pick up the boxes and deliver them to the correct address.

Volunteers wear gloves, face masks

The volunteer will ring the doorbell or knock on the door, and will leave the groceries on the doorstep for people to pick up.

Pryor said volunteers are wearing gloves and, in some cases, a face mask, in order to make all the deliveries safely and to minimize any potential spread.

Volunteers will also be asked to self-monitor for any symptoms of the virus, Pryor continued.

If demand increases, MacDonald said he will re-direct staff members at his store away from their other duties to take and fill out the orders.

Pryor has assembled a list of six young volunteers that are able to help shoulder the load, including Sarah Nichol, who does technical paperwork forNorthwestern Air Lease Ltd.

Nichol said this kind of response is expected from her community.

"It just so happens it's because of the coronavirus, but our town is really closely knit," she said. "We would have helped out if this was necessary at any other time."

MacDonald said their initiative has gotten a positive reaction from people in town but it's too soon to tell how much need there is in the community.

The territory announced its first case of COVID-19 Saturday.