17-year-old Tanner Kenin was getting bored with no reason to leave his Iowa home due to the coronavirus. That's when he learned of his grandparents' dilemma to get groceries.
Kenin told Des Moines Register, "I realized that there's a lot of seniors in this community who need to get groceries but can't. They honestly should not be leaving their houses for any reason at all, and they didn't want to pay for delivery."
This sparked an idea in Kenin. He wanted to solve his grandparents' problem and his boredom by creating T's Angel Hands, a free grocery delivery service for Polk County residents. The new program would allow seniors, immunocompromised, and pregnant people to order groceries from any store that offers curbside pick-up. The program also coordinates with food pantries for those who want to order pick-ups from them.
Not only that, the program is a family and friends affair. Kenin's sister Riley is driving community outreach efforts, and his friends Anish Kalimireddy, Ada Chen, Ajwad Iqbal, Ethan Rehmann, Gabe Christofferson, Tyler Patterson, Morgan Lee, and Hannah Daley are all working as part of the program in various roles.
The drivers will wear gloves while picking up the orders and will drop bags off at the door to avoid direct contact. A doctor who reviewed their plan agreed it would minimize risks for certain groups. The team is accepting volunteers if you're in their area and want to help!