classes. Lunch will be available as well. This is an open event, and the general public is encouraged to attend. For those wishing to consider a donation in lieu of attending the event, please contact event coordinators at haveaheartformax@aol. com. Further details are available on the Alternative Physical Therapy Ltd. Facebook page (click “events”). The Center for Alternative Physical Therapy is located at 440 S. Reynolds Rd., Suite D, Toledo, OH. 43615, 419-578-4357.
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20 February 2014 | Healthy Living News
New business features grocery delivery by Christine A. Holliday
H
ow would you get groceries if you were too sick to get out? Could you manage the grocery store experience—reaching and lifting and carrying—if you were recuperating from surgery? Would you have a way to get food for your pets if you had no car and no ride to the store? Chris Wayton worried about people facing situations like those. As a long-time social service case worker and disabilities worker, she knows how difficult it can be for many people to manage normal tasks of life. While helping her sister, she had the idea of a way to meet people’s needs and her own desire to have a helping career. “My sister has MS,” she explains. “She wasn’t able to do grocery shopping without a great deal of difficulty. She knew she could order some grocery items online and have them delivered, but those services couldn’t provide some things, like fresh produce. Sometimes she needed things faster than someplace like Amazon.com could deliver them. We couldn’t find anybody who offered such a service. That’s when I got the idea for a grocery-delivery business. I knew there must be lots of other people with the same needs.” Wayton and her husband decided on Home Run Groceries (“We run groceries to people’s homes,” she laughs to explain the name) and opened for business in October, 2013. She chose a happy, full grocery bag as the logo because she wants the service to be seen as a happy business. “I love to help the people, and I know many of them are glad to be able to maintain their independence. Some are glad to have somebody visit, too, and I enjoy getting to know them.” The service allows a customer to prepare a list of groceries and phone, e-mail, or go online to transmit the list to Mrs. Wayton. She shops at the customer’s store of choice, buying the customer’s specified brand names and sizes, and uses store discount or member cards if applicable. She is careful to avoid outdated products or those
in dented cans and bags them as a perfect bagger would—cold items together in a cold pack, cleaning supplies packaged apart from food. She delivers the items to the customer’s home, putting them away if asked, and might take the extra step of loosening ornery lids or tearing open too-well-sealed plastic packages. Wayton does a bit of research so she can suggest stores with good sales and can purchase almost anything on a grocery list, except for alcohol, prescription drugs, tobacco, or lottery tickets. She is willing to include pet items, too, and will add side trips to the public library, the cleaners, or the post office if the customer requests them. The customer pays for the groceries and a small service fee; gets the satisfaction of a well-stocked pantry; and avoids the stress of driving, parking, wandering around the store, struggling with heavy or hard-to-reach items, or worrying about loading and unloading the trunk. No contract is required for the service, and there is no commitment to use the service more than once. Payment is by cash, Pay Pal, debit card, or credit card, and Wayton offers $5.00 off the first order as well as a willingness to work with customers on low, fixed incomes. As news of the business has spread, Wayton has found that many of her callers are family members looking out for frail or elderly parents or relatives. Adult children who live out of town call to order items to be delivered to their parents, making sure they don’t go out if they don’t have to. One customer, serving in the Air Force, called to order groceries for his mom who was homebound, recuperating from surgery for a broken hip. An out-of-town client called to order a cake and balloons to be delivered to her boyfriend on his birthday. As it turns out, the business is a perfect opportunity for Wayton to use her training Discover an eclectic collection of hand-made items: and education. Her background in senior Artwork and prints services, especially dementia services, Fair Trade coffee, tea, means that she can chocolate and gifts recognize symptoms Soaps and lotions Acacia Wood Heart Bowl, of health problems from the Philippines Ceramic tiles that far-away family members or even Jewelry All Good Things the customers themSisters of St. Francis selves might not see, 6832 Convent Blvd Sylvania, OH 43560 an added benefit to the service. She notes, 419-824-3749 Bring in this ad for 10% off your “Many of the customwww.allgoodthingsosf.org entire purchase. ers come to think of Coupon expires 3-15-14 www.facebook.com/allgoodthingsgiftshop We love comments and feedback. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.