The COVID-19 pandemic left billions of people isolated in their houses, only going outside when necessary. Going to public areas could expose anyone to the dangers of the virus, but some people are more susceptible than others, primarily seniors. Despite these concerns, some of our Mission Peak Scouts have been venturing out, safely of course, into their communities to help those who truly need a helping hand.
Troop 154’s Life Scout Rithwik Seth recognized what seniors had to go through to get the essentials like water and groceries because of the pandemic. This realization led him to help those at risk in his community by creating the Troop 154 Grocery Delivery Service.
As a part of this service, a scout is paired with a senior for at least 6 months. In this partnership, the Scout contacts their elder partner every week and asks if he/she needs anything. The senior citizen provides a list of their necessities and preferred store. The Scout then makes the purchases and delivers the items safely to the senior. This method eliminates the elderly exposure by allowing Scouts to go to public places, like grocery stores, instead. Scouts take the proper precautions when shopping and delivering to guarantee safety. Ultimately, this service ensures that seniors can receive what they need without endangering themselves.
Rithwik’s first step in implementing this project was finding senior citizens in need of such a service. He contacted the Clinical Supervisor at the Aging and Family Services of the City of Fremont. Through multiple meetings with the supervisor and extended outreach utilizing flyers passed through non-profit organizations dedicated to helping seniors, Rithwik was able to find senior citizens eager for assistance. Recognizing the demand for the Troop’s grocery delivery program, Rithwik set up an organized structure for dealing with new clients to ensure safety, trust, and efficiency.
First, a senior in need of the service will call the specified number to set up the delivery service. A few preliminary deliveries will be made to the elder to build a relationship of trust and assure safety. After this, a scout is paired with the senior who continues the deliveries whenever the elder requests something.
A community is primarily a group of people who are there for each other through difficult times and help each other persevere. They must assist each other, ensuring that those in danger are remaining protected and safe. By implementing this ideology, Troop 154 is helping their community take one step forward. This project represents the epitome of scouting as Troop 154 is bringing the community closer through challenging times.
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