Student-run grocery delivery service expands to Torrey Pines area

After having trouble finding a contactless grocery delivery service, Point Loma High School junior Maddie Wozniak wanted to create an easier way for senior citizens to shop for food while sheltering-in-place.

She has been staying home to help protect her grandparents, who moved in with the family after public health orders went into effect to stop the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

“I can’t leave my house, but I want to make sure people who are in my position can get the groceries they need,” said Maddie, 16, who began texting friends to ask for their help.

They named their initiative Store 2 Door SD. From an initial post on the social media site Nextdoor asking if anyone in her neighborhood needed grocery delivery, the service now has a website where prospective customers throughout the county can fill out a Google form to request delivery. It’s geared especially toward senior citizens, who face higher risks of serious illness or death from COVID-19, and family members or others who live with them and need to avoid infection.

A network of volunteers wearing gloves and masks go to the stores, where they purchase items off the lists provided by the customers. They drop off the groceries at the front door. Customers reimburse the cost of groceries through Venmo, cash, check or other means, but there are no additional fees.

Store 2 Door members have been promoting the service on Nextdoor and other social media channels, as well as flyers posted throughout local neighborhoods. It has also garnered media attention from local TV, an article on the San Diego Unified School District’s website and a mention in an Instagram story by San Diego mayoral candidate and Assemblyman Todd Gloria.

“The biggest challenge is it picked up pretty fast and we didn’t really expect it to,” Maddie said.

Through the first four weeks, Store 2 Door has had 25 responses from its Google form and completed 18 grocery runs.

The service is also expanding in the Torrey Pines area with about 10 volunteers who can serve Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carmel Valley Rancho Santa Fe and surrounding areas.

“During this downtime, it was a great way to be productive and to help other people,” said Stella Bruce, 16, a junior at Torrey Pines High School, and one of the students Maddie contacted to help provide the service.

Store 2 Door SD is taking orders from residents across San Diego County. For more information, visit storetodoorsd.wixsite.com/mysite.