Caledonia grocery store giving senior citizens special hour to shop

CALEDONIA, Miss. (WCBI) – A grocery store is going the extra mile to help protect senior citizens in the community amid the COVID-19 threat.

Caledonia Shop and Save is giving seniors an hour to shop before the doors open for business.

Water, meat, and cleaning supplies.

Margaret Blair filled up her shopping cart with necessities at Caledonia’s Shop N Save Senior Hour.

“We’re just pleased to death with this. That we can get here before the crowds get here, and we can come here before we start doing other things,” said Blair.

Blair said having the hour to shop-without the general public gives her a chance to grab everything she needs.

“I think we have so many older people in the community and they’re scared to get out. I think to be able to come early this morning, I think it’s a very good benefit,” explained Blair.

Close to 20 show up each morning to take advantage of this opportunity.

Assistant Manager Linda Woody said Senior Hour gives an alternate way to shop without navigating through large crowds.

“They don’t have to worry about someone close to them, they don’t have to worry about bumping into them. If they need the extra help,  we are here to give them the extra help,” said Woody.

“They can come in before all the rush comes in and so they can feel like their in a safer place and do some grocery shopping and get out of the house a little bit. I think it’s great how our community in Caledonia has put this together for them,” said shopper Victoria Richardson.

Before the doors open, employees sanitize the entire store and restock the shelves.

“We wipe down everything like doorknobs, we wipe the door where they come in and we keep things swept and clean,” said Woody.

“We appreciate them going out of their way to do this for us,” expressed Blair.

The General Manager says even after the coronavirus threat, Shop And Save will continue to offer Senior Hour from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.