By: Emily von Buttlar
Sophomore Joah Lee is taking the initiative to help people in her community during this pandemic by encouraging a time called ‘Senior Hours’ to store managers and people in the community.
Senior Hours is a time in the day where only seniors and the disabled can go to grocery stores. This increases their safety, as they don’t have to navigate through the big crowds in stores or wait in long lines outside. According to most seniors, including Lee’s grandmother, they are afraid to go into public spaces due to their old age, so this system decreases their chances of getting sick.
“Senior hours is an hour every single day dedicated just to seniors and for disabled so they don’t have to stay in the long lines and find their way through the crowded market,” Lee said.
When Lee and her grandmother went to the store, she first thought of the idea because her grandmother was scared of the crowds and afraid of getting sick. Lee figured out a way to fix this solution as she realized due to research that other elders feel the same way.
“I was in the car, and I was driving past both Costco and Trader Joe, the lines were ridiculously long, and it felt like it didn’t make sense,” Lee said. “My grandma couldn’t go out because she was scared, ‘oh what if something happens while I’m at the market.’ My grandma doesn’t only just have this issue, others do as well. ”
After doing some more research, she found a system called ‘Senior Hours’ that they had first implemented at Lazy Acres. Lee then talked to the heads of Trader Joes, Ralphs, Vons and Gelsons to encourage them to take in the same program.
“I think Senior Hours is the best program because apps like Amazon fresh, it is another thing to install. I think it’s easier and more accessible for seniors and people in general,” Lee said.
Lee has reached out to many markets in the hope of creating awareness about the situation. She also created a petition to spread awareness around people in the community. Her sister, mom, and grandma are helping out by spreading the word out through the people they know as well.
“First, I created a petition, it notifies local market owners, and I emailed local market owners so I could get their attention,” Lee said.
Before Lee emailed the stores, Gelson’s is one of the first markets to implement senior hours along with Vons yet, Gelson’s is not one of the more popular markets. Lee is trying to reach out to more popular markets to help out the people who are more susceptible to catching the virus.
“There’s already a couple [of] markets have implemented the system,” Lee said. “I’m hoping to reach out to bigger markets that are more nationwide, so it’s more accessible to everyone.”
Although Lee is still in the early stages of her project, she is still trying to get people to get the word out. Lee created a petition on change.org that informs others of what she is trying to do and what they can do to help. Her petition is called ‘Allow for seniors and disabled to buy basic necessities at local markets with ease.’ It’s on change.org: https://www.change.org/p/allow-for-seniors-and-disabled-to-buy-basic-necessities-at-local-markets-with-ease?signed=true
“For us, it is important to stay healthy as well, but the mortality rate for elders is higher so we have to protect the people who are most susceptible to a virus like this, and prevent it from happening,” Lee said.
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