El Segundo

You Can Help El Segundo Seniors Get Groceries

“Everybody’s concerned. This is a chance to avoid the crowd,” said El Segundo resident Lacy Cook. “Do the necessary shopping and you know, get in, get out.”

What to Know

  • The club will take shopping requests are limited to 15 items which can include basic foods, household goods, and essential hygiene items (purchasable in El Segundo).
  • Volunteer shoppers will go to the grocery stories on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and deliver them to the designated resident.
  • For more information about the program, sign-ups, shopping requests, questions or inquiries, please call 310-524-2705 or email outreachhelp@elsegundo.org.

Residents who want to help El Segundo seniors and those with fragile immune systems can go shopping and pick up items for those in need thanks to a city-backed program.

Since coronavirus quarantine regulations have kicked in, residents have been flocking to grocery stores and buying food, water, and toilet paper in numerous quantities. A trip to the grocery store is becoming more and more challenging, especially for those without proper support. Senior citizens who need these supplies are finding it hard to access these resources, but some stores are making changes.

Ralphs is one of grocery stores opening early to accommodate shoppers over the age of 65, a segment of the population at higher risk of contracting novel coronavirus.

“Everybody’s concerned. This is a chance to avoid the crowd,” said El Segundo resident Lacy Cook. “Do the necessary shopping and you know, get in, get out.”

The Rotary Club of El Segundo and City's Recreation & Parks Department have taken the extra step by creating a COVID-19 senior outreach program.

“Rather than have seniors just stand in line, the Recreation and Parks Department has teamed up with the El Segundo Rotary Club,” said volunteer shopper Michael Lind. “They are doing some shopping assistance — helping seniors get their groceries without having to leave home.”  

The rotary club is asking for volunteers for the program, including non-club members like El Segundo resident Tracy Powell.

“I’m buying for a couple that lives on Imperial — an elderly couple,” Powel said. “I got set with the rotary club so I bought their groceries this morning, and I got my groceries, and we’re good.”

The program also benefits those who are sick and in critical danger if exposed to novel coronavirus. One resident, a 53-year-old cancer patient, has a depressed immune system and could possibly die if exposed to coronavirus from a grocery store. The volunteer shopping program can decrease the chances of infecting immunocompromised residents.

According to the program, the club will take shopping requests are limited to 15 items which can include basic foods, household goods, and essential hygiene items (purchasable in El Segundo). Volunteer shoppers will go to the grocery stories on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and deliver them to the designated resident.

For more information about the program, sign-ups, shopping requests, questions or inquiries, please call 310-524-2705 or email outreachhelp@elsegundo.org.

The chaos surrounding the coronavirus has rolled into grocery stores across the country, with customers hoarding more than just toilet paper. Shelves are largely bare as people frantically fill their fridges and freezers. Experts warn it's completely unnecessary.
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