You've got Questions, We've got Answers!
Q: Is this service free?
A: Yes, Shopper Next Door services are completely free and our organization is entirely volunteer run! We hope to support our neighbors during this difficult time and ease financial burdens.
Q: How is this service different than existing apps like Instacart or delivery services provided directly by grocery stores?
A:
Although many grocery stores and third party companies have their own delivery services, Shopper Next Door aims to supplement these existing services for three main reasons:
Q: Who are the volunteers?
A: Our volunteers are passionate college students who have returned home from college! With more time on our hands and the shared desire to make a positive impact in our community, Shopper Next Door volunteers are responsible, hard-working young people who wanted to mobilize during this difficult time and be on the front lines of making change. Our volunteers are hand-picked and they were added to the team because they displayed serious commitment, responsibility, and trustworthiness.
Many of our volunteers have their own personal experiences with loved ones that suffer from being at high-risk so they want to make sure all members of their community are taken care of!
While the majority of our volunteers are college students right now, we are also open to having high schoolers or other young people who are considered "lower-risk" individuals to join our team!
Q: How are you practicing safe social distancing guidelines and ensuring the safety of your shoppers and neighbors?
A: Here at Shopper Next Door, we take the safety of our shoppers, neighbors, and overall community very seriously! We follow a very strict safety policy that can be read here:
Q: I am unable to volunteer as a shopper but I want to help still. What can I do?
A: We understand that not everyone can volunteer to be a shopper. No worries, there are still plenty of ways you can support your community right now!
Q: Which locations are eligible for the match program?
A: We currently have shoppers operating in Issaquah, Sammamish, Fall City, Bellevue, Seattle, and Redmond of the Greater Seattle Area! We assign shoppers to neighbors based on their locations so all of the support is local and shoppers do not have to travel to far to do their job. We are constantly looking to expand the number of shoppers and locations covered though so feel free to share our organization and refer people to the Volunteer Shopper Team!
Q: How will shoppers be reimbursed for the money they spend on groceries?
A: When you first call your neighbor, please discuss paying for the groceries! Ask them what option would be best for them, and work with your preferences as well. Some suggestions we have for payment to limit social contact are:
A: Yes, Shopper Next Door services are completely free and our organization is entirely volunteer run! We hope to support our neighbors during this difficult time and ease financial burdens.
Q: How is this service different than existing apps like Instacart or delivery services provided directly by grocery stores?
A:
Although many grocery stores and third party companies have their own delivery services, Shopper Next Door aims to supplement these existing services for three main reasons:
- All of these services cost money, whether that be in the form of a subscription fee or a delivery fee. On the other hand, Shopper Next Door provides completely free services to help ease further financial burden during this time of economic uncertainty.
- Many of these existing services are completely overwhelmed with high demand resulting in a long delivery wait time, delayed deliveries, out-of-stock items, and website/app crashes. Shopper Next Door aims to supplement these existing services by providing more localized, small-scale help so our community members can get what they need most in a timely manner.
- Shopper Next Door aims to provide personalized, local support directly from community members that you know and trust. This emotional support is extremely comforting in this time of uncertainty and stress.
Q: Who are the volunteers?
A: Our volunteers are passionate college students who have returned home from college! With more time on our hands and the shared desire to make a positive impact in our community, Shopper Next Door volunteers are responsible, hard-working young people who wanted to mobilize during this difficult time and be on the front lines of making change. Our volunteers are hand-picked and they were added to the team because they displayed serious commitment, responsibility, and trustworthiness.
Many of our volunteers have their own personal experiences with loved ones that suffer from being at high-risk so they want to make sure all members of their community are taken care of!
While the majority of our volunteers are college students right now, we are also open to having high schoolers or other young people who are considered "lower-risk" individuals to join our team!
Q: How are you practicing safe social distancing guidelines and ensuring the safety of your shoppers and neighbors?
A: Here at Shopper Next Door, we take the safety of our shoppers, neighbors, and overall community very seriously! We follow a very strict safety policy that can be read here:
- Best Practices Guide for Neighbors and Shoppers to ensure safety during their interactions
- Safety Protocol One-Pager that both parties are sent when they are matched and they must affirm they read and understand it.
Q: I am unable to volunteer as a shopper but I want to help still. What can I do?
A: We understand that not everyone can volunteer to be a shopper. No worries, there are still plenty of ways you can support your community right now!
- Share us on social media and advertise our organization to potential shoppers or neighbors
- Donate to local food banks and other organizations
- Support your local small businesses and restaurants by buying gift cards, ordering food, paying them in advance, etc.
Q: Which locations are eligible for the match program?
A: We currently have shoppers operating in Issaquah, Sammamish, Fall City, Bellevue, Seattle, and Redmond of the Greater Seattle Area! We assign shoppers to neighbors based on their locations so all of the support is local and shoppers do not have to travel to far to do their job. We are constantly looking to expand the number of shoppers and locations covered though so feel free to share our organization and refer people to the Volunteer Shopper Team!
Q: How will shoppers be reimbursed for the money they spend on groceries?
A: When you first call your neighbor, please discuss paying for the groceries! Ask them what option would be best for them, and work with your preferences as well. Some suggestions we have for payment to limit social contact are:
- Venmo (usually preferred by most volunteers -- best option)
- Zelle
- PayPal
- Leave cash/check in envelope on doorstep so you can collect when you drop the groceries off on doorstep. Pick up the envelope with gloved hands and put aside for 24 hours to avoid contagion. However, electronic payment methods are preferred.
If you have more questions, feel free to reach out to us!