Communities get innovative in shopping options

BRISTOL — When New Hampshire joined other states in urging people to avoid travel as much as possible, Bristol resident Cathy Bannan Redman thought she might have something to offer.

A recent retiree from a 37-year career in the insurance field, Redman contacted Bristol Town Administrator Nik Coates to say she would be happy to help the community in any way.

Coates, meanwhile, had been looking for a way to bring local groups together to help residents in need, and he put Redman in contact with Steve Hanser.

Hanser had the idea of doing grocery shopping for area elders so they could remain safely in their homes. Redman, with her experience managing and organizing people and projects, offered to coordinate the shopping service.

“Prior to the pandemic, each agency in the town was working in our own silos,” Coates said. “Not saying that’s a bad thing, just it’s a given that everyone is busy with their own areas of expertise. If there’s a silver lining to this pandemic, and there are a few, it’s that it has given us the opportunity to work more closely and in a more coordinated approach toward serving the needs of residents who need it most.

“We are very lucky to have Cathy, Steve, and the many volunteers that have been marshaled to the cause of supporting our community.”

Redman said she was able to recruit some 50 volunteers, mostly through Facebook.

The way the program works is local agencies such as Bristol Community Services and the Tapply-Thompson Community Center put Redman in touch with senior citizens who need help with grocery shopping. She contacts the seniors to confirm that they’re willing to share their phone number with an assigned volunteer, and determines which of the volunteers is able to help. The volunteer then calls the resident for a grocery list and to discuss that person’s needs going forward. The senior pays for each grocery order, but the shopping and delivery are free. The volunteer and the senior remain connected as long as the service is needed.

The Bristol Police Department originally offered to make the deliveries, working with Hannaford of Bristol to have volunteers pick up and package the groceries, with assistance from store associates.

Store Manager Chris O’Leary said that, when Bristol Police Chief Jim McIntire approached him about the service, it was a natural fit for the store, and corporate headquarters said it would support whatever the local store wanted to do for the community.

Coates said that, about three weeks ago, “when things started to become apparent that New Hampshire was going to be hit just like the rest of the country, the town’s department heads got together and developed an 11-point plan for handling the challenge. Two of the points were on supporting local business needs and on supporting the needs of social service agencies and clients. I had asked the police chief to find ways that the police department could get involved in those two efforts. It wasn’t much of a sell, because Jim is already locked in to the important role the department plays in supporting the community. It was a natural fit.”

However, the department found that working around their regular duties made participation too difficult, so the deliveries are now done by volunteers who have completed background checks.

The volunteers shop and deliver groceries two days a week.

“Since this is new to all of us, over the past two weeks we have tweaked the process to make it better,” Redman said. “We are continually looking for ways to streamline the process for everyone involved. My goal is to organize the deliveries by neighborhood, if possible. We’re not there yet, but hope to be soon.”

The delivery program got underway two weeks ago, serving residents of seven towns: Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Hebron, Hill, and New Hampton. Those needing the service can call the Tapply-Thompson Community Center at 603-744-2713.

“We ask that the seniors be flexible in their grocery order, as the grocery stores are doing their best to keep their shelves stocked,” Redman noted, adding, “Our tagline is ‘Bristol-Newfound Strong – IT TAKES A COMMUNITY!’”

Other services

The Plymouth Police Department, in partnership with Plymouth Hannaford and Gowen Realty, set up a similar program to provide groceries to the elderly. Offered to Plymouth residents 65 and older, as well as those with medical conditions that prevent them from shopping, the service utilizes a group of local volunteers coordinated by Gowen Realty.

To place an order, contact Vicki Moore at 603-536-1804, ext. 106, or email vmoore@plymouthpd-nh.org; or Eden Lefebvre, 603-536-1804, ext. 107, elefebvre@plymouthpd-nh.org. If emailing your order, provide an address and phone number to confirm.

Volunteers will then take the orders to Plymouth Hannaford, purchasing items that are in stock. A cashier will print a receipt with the amount owed, and the volunteers take it to the client and collect the payment by check or credit card. The volunteer then returns to the store to pay for and pick up the order, bringing it back to the senior.

“It’s a complicated process, but something we wanted to assist with,” said Deputy Police Chief Alexander Hutchins. “We don’t want the community to think they’re going to be scammed, so we wanted to be involved, but Gowan Realty is really the one driving this.”

The preferred delivery times are Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8 a.m. and noon, but they allow exceptions.

On Tuesday, the Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc. and the Friends Programs Inc. announced they had become partners in a Shopping for Seniors program. The effort emerged as a result of the decision by CAP’s Rural Transportation Service to ask riders to use their transit system only for essential purposes such as shopping. The Friends Program offered to assist in shopping for those unable to get out.

Under the program, available to senior citizens in the greater Concord and Laconia areas, elders place shopping lists, along with cash or store gift cards, in envelopes with their names on them. RTS bus drivers collect the envelopes and deliver them to volunteers at the chosen stores. Volunteers  do the shopping, placing the gift cards or any change back in the envelopes, and bring them back to the waiting bus for drivers to deliver the goods.