Seniors to Use Single Call to Initiate Food and Supplies Purchase and Delivery
FALLBROOK, CALIF., March 19, 2020 – Local and independently-owned Major Market and Fallbrook’s Foundation for Senior Care joined forces to provide grocery services to stay-at-home seniors in the area, it was announced today.
According to Dr. Robert Pace, President of the Foundation for Senior Care, the local non-profit organization established a relationship with Major Market to assist seniors in minimizing public contact while getting needed food and other supplies. He said that seniors call the Foundation’s offices at 760-723-7570 and place their order using a credit card. The Foundation’s “Care Advocates”, verify the order and relays it to the market where a staff member then fills the order through its transportation service.
“One of our Care Van drivers picks up the filled order in-store and establishes a route within the community to deliver the groceries to the seniors,” Dr. Pace said, adding, “without a delivery charge.”
He said that the Foundation offered a similar service to local pharmacies, however, there has been no commitment at press-time.
John Alarcon, store manager for Major Market in Fallbrook, said that he has noticed many seniors expressing concerns for their health as they shopped there since the virus was labeled a pandemic earlier this month. “Many of our elderly customers, during the twice-monthly Wednesdays when we provide senior-discounts to them, have commented that they appreciate the availability of many products but also would like a way to avoid being in situations where their health could be compromised.
“Providing this no-charge delivery service by the Foundation goes a long way toward alleviating some of their fears,” he said.
Keith Birkfeld, the Foundation’s Executive Director who created and now manages the project with Alarcon and the Major Market outlet here noted that the Foundation is working in close coordination with the Fallbrook Regional Health Care District, the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce and the Fallbrook Food Pantry.
Birkfeld added: “As the food delivery service expands and threats from the Coronavirus persist, both Major Market and the Foundation for Senior Care will need volunteers to help with picking, bagging and delivering much-needed food and other grocery items to area seniors. Community resources, in the form of financial support and individual volunteers, have always propelled our mission, and during this crisis they are critical.”
Both Dr. Pace and Birkfeld said that each driver will use all of the established safety measures during the delivery process such as changing gloves and wearing masks to further protect themselves and those receiving deliveries. Calls from the Foundation’s Care Van team will be made to seniors to alert them to the imminence of a delivery and packages will be left at the front door or another convenient spot for easy retrieval by the seniors.
The Foundation for Senior Care is a multi-provider of services for seniors and their families with headquarters at 135 S. Mission Rd., Fallbrook, CA 92028. The locally operated non-profit organization has 15 board members, all of whom are prominent business and civic leaders in the Fallbrook/Bonsall area.
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Your phone number just says “Welcome to the Company Directory. Please dial the first 3 digits of the last name. . . . ”
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I’m a senior here in Fallbrook and want to get groceries delivered.
Author
Our phone system greeting was having problems this weekend. It has since been resolved but it still received messages. We look forward to your call today.
Good morning! I am so deeply grateful to you and to Major Market for the recent partnership announced regarding grocery delivery. I am a very frequent senior (67) shopper at Major Market, and this service announcement was such a relief. I do have two questions, the first being, will the delivery service be for those who are sick, or can the healthy among us also order groceries using this service? The second is, do you have an age limit for what will be considered a “senior” for the grocery delivery service? Thank you again for your tireless, ongoing support of the elder community in our beloved Fallbrook.
Author
Thank you for reaching out. The delivery service is for those seniors who are 65+ or disabled adults who are self-quarantine themselves. This is an emergency service and we do ask if seniors have a family member or neighbor who can shop for them they use their support network first. As it may take us up to 48 to fulfill requests, we do ask that you do not wait until the last minute to call. Please do give us a call for more assistance.