I want to share what we are doing here with a group of like-minded people, in the hope that others can take advantage of our approach and learn from our mistakes.
We are starting a system by which people who are sick with COVID-19 at home can order very cheap meals (2 meals a day for $10) and get deliveries every day from volunteers.
We made deals with restaurants to agree to serve “rations” (i.e. dinner + lunch next day) for $10/day. The consumers, who have already registered on our web site, must call them in, order rations for the next day, and pay for the order. Every day, our drivers wil go to the restaurants and pick the orders and deliver them.
Here, in the Bay Area, it is almost impossible to get two meals for $10, particularly delivered. So it is a real deal.
I cannot give a link yet because we have not officially launched. But we are hosting on Discourse. We are also putting all of our code on Github: pulling out the customer info from Discourse, automating the drivers’ routes etc.
We are going to try and share all of our experience publicly so that others can do what we are doing.
My brother and his wife, both in their mid-80s live in the Miami, FL, area, the Cuban capital of these United States. For the last 2 or 3 years they have availed themselves of a paid service called La Cantina, provided by a choice of Cuban restaurants. They receive at their door daily an ample lunch for two (with leftovers for supper) at a very inexpensive price. Apparently, the restaurants make money even then and the benefits to seniors and others (service is not volunteer nor limited to seniors) is immeasurable. They get a weekly menu from which they can choose. Of course, the selections are typical of Cuban meals and mostly heavy in carbs. But nothing says they cannot broaden their diet with greens and other food that they get delivered from their local WalMart.
Sadly, there is nothing like this in the rural area where I live. And my local WalMart won’t deliver, although they will allow internet ordering of shelf items… not anything from the coolers, the freezers nor fresh produce. And these must be picked up at the store and not delivered. The only other grocery store in my nearest town (population 5,000) closed several years ago.
I read your post at a time when I had no eaten yet and I must tell you a felt that surge in my mouth when you suddenly feel really hungry! What a great service! And I happen to love Cuban food, although, as you mention, I could use more veggies in those menus
Really too bad until 2 years ago we lived in very much the same type of area. The only “grocery” nearby was the local convenience store at the PDQ gas station… which we frequently used for milk, eggs, snacks etc.
It looks to me like this may be a good commercial opportunity for someone to pair with a local gas station!
Sadly, not here in rural Wisconsin. Here pretty much all eateries are taverns that serve bar food… hamburgers, pizza, sandwiches and fish fry on Fridays plus broasted chicken on Sundays, although there is a sprinkling of Mexican restaurants. But, as you well know, Mexican food is heavily carby unless one orders fajitas, which can get old fast. Obviously, this is the food that the local people eat and they have never supported anything different.
Other things to try that are less carby and most Mexican restaurants seem to have- Carnitas, Chile Colorado, Street Tacos (only eat one of the small corn tortillas), Chile Relleno, Chile Verde, Carne or Pollo Asada. Keep the beans but try and sub the rice for a small salad. Love the lower carb Mexican food!
I guess I just don’t like Mexican food all that much, at least not what they serve in restaurants here. Chiles rellenos are all right but carne or pollo asado I make better and more to my liking at home. Rice, beans and tortillas are just not something I’d go out to eat. Mexican cooking includes a lot of fish and seafood in general. But those are hardly ever offered in restaurants here. Here at least, the Taco Bell model is followed.
until 2 years ago we lived in very much the same type of area. The only “grocery” nearby was the local convenience store at the PDQ gas station… which we frequently used for milk, eggs, snacks etc. 