By now, you’re sick of being begged to take COVID-19 seriously, so I won’t do that to you. I’m sick of hearing it myself. I’ll ask you, instead, to consider something different.
I’ll ask you to consider someone who is helping you maintain normalcy. Someone who is helping you care for your family through all this. Someone who continues to get up every day, go to work, tolerate a range of personalities, and maintain the smile across his or her face. Think about the retail workers. You know, the people we are currently hailing as heroes, for risking their lives to feed us. The people who some of you may have dismissed in the past. The people who come to work because they care about their customers, and because they have no other options to support their families. Society loves these heroes on the front lines right now, more than ever before. I know I do! You see, I used to be one of them. I used to work for a popular grocery chain, where customers always came first. I worked long hours, always putting on my best face out front, then bonding with my coworkers over everyday frustrations in the back. Years after I left, some of those coworkers remain my closest friends. I still go back to see them, which is normal for retail workers who have moved to other job titles. I even bought a house with one of them. We had a little girl, and built a life from the ashes of the mundane retail grind. These people that I love continue to go to work every day, often working in close quarters because that’s their job. They look customers in the face, much closer than the recommended 6-feet, and they smile, because they still want to give their absolute best. They know they’re putting themselves at risk. They know they could be carrying this back to their families, and their families know it, too. In the end, they persist, because they know they must. This is why many stores have begun offering drive up services. You can pick your groceries online or on an app, then drive up and have them loaded into your car. You have minimal contact with anyone inside the store. Cashiers can be used to gather orders, in some stores, and other departments are still busy stocking or cleaning. Doesn’t it seem like a nice solution for everyone? I know it stinks to not be able to be around others. I already miss my friends and my neighbors. However, I know drive-up services will help keep my family healthy. These services will help me stay out of the stores, and they will help my retail working partner keep a safe distance from the public. Good grocery stores will work out ways to maintain staff while maximizing drive up service. When done correctly, these services allow workers and customers to distance themselves while continuing the service relationship. Won’t you please consider using drive up grocery service until this is over? It’s a small sacrifice to make to keep families like mine healthy throughout this unfortunate pandemic. Please find links to the drive up guidelines for grocery stores around me. Feel free to add your local grocery store links in the comments. Price Chopper https://www.pricechopper.com/services/pick-up/ Weis https://www.weismarkets.com/weis-markets-adds-weis-2-go-curbside-pickup-and-home-delivery-more-61-new-locations Call to see if your location complies Wegmans https://www.wegmans.com/groceries-online/ Walmart https://grocery.walmart.com/ Call ahead as slots are filling fast Tops https://www.topsmarkets.com/shoponline P & C https://www.pandcfresh.com/online-shopping/ Whole Foods Market https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/grocery-delivery-and-pickup Sam’s Club https://www.samsclub.com/content/club-pickup BJ’s https://www.bjs.com/content?template=B&espot_main=BopicPageEspot
1 Comment
Charlotte
3/23/2020 08:47:52 pm
Llvery well said! I will share for you. Really something everyone should take in consideration. For our own safety as well as everyone else's. Good job Becky!
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AuthorRebecca has been blogging for ten years. She'd love to help you fill your blog! Archives
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