Communities are as strong as the support system they’re built on.
In the City of Concord, neighbors are stepping up to lend a hand to the most vulnerable residents as the COVID-19 outbreak forces them indoors and away from large crowds.
They’re brought together by Concord Cares, a seven-day-a-week program that’s part meal delivery service and part goods delivery.
In addition to hot meals when they’re needed, Concord Mayor Tim McGallian told KCBS Radio that Concord Cares matches volunteers with seniors who need help running errands to sometimes crowded places like the pharmacy, grocery store or hardware store.
"Those seniors that are not really able to make it out, and they need a quick trip to the pharmacy or maybe the grocery store or pet food store just to go grab something," McGallian said. "We’re matching volunteers who are able to make those quick trips with people who are not necessarily able to go out in public right now."
Both volunteers and senior recipients can sign-up for the program through a new website called Neighbor Express.
If signing up online isn’t an option, volunteers are able to connect to the program by calling 925-338-1441.
"The City of Concord haw funded this and so we made this part of our emergency order," McGallian said. "We not only funded this but also some other homeless outreach services that got wrapped into about a $200,000 program."
Concord Cares will run as long the shelter-in-place order is in effect.