Local Students Provide Free Grocery Delivery During Global Pandemic

As the world continues to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic, we are continuing to see some of the very best within people as they come forward to provide help during these confusing and trying times. One example of this has been through a young BYU student, John Lindsay, and a recent volunteer service he and many friends have started.

While following the events of the coronavirus, they were inspired by a group of young students in the United Kingdom who started a grocery delivery service. With elderly individuals being the most at-risk with this virus, simple trips to the grocery store can be a matter of life or death. With that information in mind, these young students in the United Kingdom organized young volunteers who would pick up and deliver groceries for those at-risk members of their community, strictly following any and all sanitation protocols to ensure their safety, and keeping those individuals safe while still having their needs for groceries met.

John and his friends decided that the same could, and should, be done in Utah Valley. They started the organization Utah Valley COVID Rescue with the sole purpose to help those in need during these very difficult times, all for free. Now with a fully functioning website and social media page, individuals in Utah Valley and in expanding areas throughout Utah can safely order their groceries to be delivered for free to their door. John and all of the volunteers follow strict sanitation guidelines, making sure that they disinfect any and all items delivered and following safety regulations to make sure the groceries are delivered safely.

In a brief conversation with John, he told us about a story of an older woman who had contacted them regarding this service. She is an at-risk individual and is blind. With these two factors, she faced the desperate need to have her groceries safely delivered to her. John said that as she set up the order for her groceries, they could hear the emotion in her voice as she felt such a relief that she could stay safe from this virus, while still getting all of the groceries she may need.

As the coronavirus places many of us in difficult and trying circumstances, many have answered the call to serve and share the light of Christ with those affected. Healthcare workers are working pain-staking hours, oftentimes having to physically separate themselves from their loved ones for their own safety, to keep many of us healthy and safe.

Many essential businesses face the risk of contracting the virus simply to stay afloat and provide us with the needed essentials during this time. The elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions now face danger simply going to the grocery store, but people like John and the volunteers of Utah Valley COVID Rescue have seen the need, and are serving to the best of their abilities. KSL, a local news source in Utah, featured a segment highlighting the group’s service. Click the link here to see their full coverage.

To request delivery service in Utah Valley, just click here. If you would like to sign up to volunteer, apply on their main website. Volunteers must be able to follow all safety protocols.

Devin Justesen

Devin is a graduate of Brigham Young University where he studied English and Business Management. He is a writer, photographer, movie-fanatic, and a lover of street tacos. He served his mission in Tokyo, Japan.