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Gwinnett County medical students deliver groceries to residents

A group of medical students is offering free grocery delivery service to the immunocompromised and elderly.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A group of medical students attending Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Georgia is delivering groceries to residents with weakened immune systems while they study for their boards.

One of the medical students behind the initiative, Hiral Patel, said they have about 40 volunteers and served more than 20 residents since they launched the program a week ago.

"We recognized leaving the home to shop can put medically fragile people at greater risk of infection. Most of us are just at home studying for our boards and we wanted to find a way to give back right now," says Patel.

The students behind the initiative have dubbed themselves, the 'COVID Captains'. The captains provide all services for free and just require the recipient to pay for their grocery bill. Patel said that they have mostly been assisting the elderly with grocery delivery and pickup, but they have also had other requests.

"Sometimes they just need help with the online website and how to place a curbside pickup," Patel said. "We've also had children who don't live in the area reach out to us about helping their parents."

Patel explains that once they've been contacted by an interested party, they go through a volunteer matching process.

Delivery for Participants:

  1. Once you fill out a survey, organizers will respond to let you know it is received and then you are matched with a volunteer.
  2. Then you are asked to send a list of your groceries as well as a preferred delivery date and time.
  3. A volunteer will go and buy the groceries. They will call you if they cannot find something on your list and consult you for a replacement if you want one. 
  4. Whenever the volunteer is done picking everything up, they will take a picture of the receipt and send it to you, as well as an estimated time of arrival to your home.
  5. Once the volunteer arrives, you are asked to send the payment for the items through Venmo, Paypal, or have a cash envelope with the amount according to the receipt. Once the transaction is complete, they will leave the items at your doorstep and the volunteer will ring the doorbell or knock as they leave.
  6. The groups' aim is to have as little face-to-face contact as possible to keep you safe.

Patel said that if recipients need assistance downloading a payment app, volunteers are happy to provide instruction over the phone.

If you or someone you know lives in the Gwinnett County area and are in need of this type of assistance, you can contact the group by email at covidcaptains@gmail.com.

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