Amid the Coronavirus Scare, A Convenience Store Decides To Give $6,000 Worth Of Groceries To Seniors For Free!

• Zahid Iqbal, owner of the Day-Today convenience store in Scotland has done his part for the community.
• Amid the COVID-19 crisis, he decided to provide free “coronavirus kits” and food bags to people in need.
• He hopes this inspires other business owners to do the same and pitch in help to conquer these trying times.

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A convenience store in Scotland has decided to help seniors in preparation of the quarantine by giving them thousands worth of groceries they need.

Day-Today grocery store in Drylaw, Edinburgh prepared “coronavirus kits” for 65-years-old and above customers to be picked up or delivered for free for those with mobility issues.

Store owner Zahid Iqbal, 35, hopes it “sets a good example” for other business owners and consumers who were panic buying to think of others in dire need. They have already distributed over 1,000 kits to elderly people.

Each kit is around £5 cost to make and including the fuel for deliveries, it has cost his business around £5,000 ($6,100). 

More than that, he also plans to make food bags that include pasta and tinned goods. People have been panic-buying leaving store shelves empty for others struggling to get their supplies. 

“We’ve given away more than a thousand now, that’s just over the weekend,” Zahid said. “It’s a time when we need to stick together.”

Zahid came up with this idea after he and his parents found empty shelves at a supermarket they planned on buying their needs.

“We have lots of customers from the local care homes, as well as disabled customers, who can’t get hand sanitizers, loo rolls or anything at all.

“We just want to set a good example in this world,” he said.

The family-owned store with five employees at the moment, has been in the service for over 15 years now—and in these times of crisis, he believes their loyal customers deserve every penny. 

“I had to get staff in to do deliveries, and petrol’s not included,” Zahid said. “We’ve done quite a few deliveries to people who can’t get out and collecting. A lot of new people have been coming in showing appreciation as well and promising they’ll shop local in the future—lots of nice gestures.

“The appreciation we’ve been getting has been out of this world,” he added. “You couldn’t get this kind of satisfaction if you spent thousands of pounds, it’s amazing.”

Though they are not accepting donations at the moment for the kits, Zahid said they may consider it in the future.

“Money can be made in the future,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to earn money from putting prices high in these situations taking advantage of people.

He believes people have to do their part at times like this.

“We want to help out for as long as we can manage and everybody needs to be doing their bit,” he said.

“The satisfaction you get helping people out is just amazing,” he concluded.

Source: Good News Network