The Family Market expanding ways to ensure southeast Farmington's elderly can shop safely
FARMINGTON – Isaac Flores brainstormed ways to ensure southeast Farmington’s elderly population does not have to wait in the long lines outside grocery stores — let alone leave their homes — because the COVID-19 pandemic’s still here at the start of winter.
“It’s unfortunate to see elderly people waiting in line at the big stores,” The Family Market owner said. “We saw a need of finding a way to help them out.”
First, there’s curbside pickup services. Flores said customers would bring a list of items and call the store’s main phone number upon arrival, and employees would collect those items and bring them back out to customers’ vehicles.
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The Family Market’s also offering delivery services for its pizzeria and Mexican restaurant via DoorDash. Flores said the store plans to add basic grocery items such as milk, eggs and bread to its DoorDash inventory, ideally as soon as Saturday.
Flores also said he’s setting up a free delivery system for Southeast Farmington’s elderly residents to order their groceries over the phone, which would include an electronic benefit transfer card payment option. That way, they don’t have to leave home to get their items during the winter months.
The store’s phone number is 505-333-4892.
“This will make it a little simpler, just a phone call away,” Flores said.
Flores said he expects delivery and pickup services will increase during the winter.
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The Family Market, located at 1907 E. Murray Drive in Farmington, already survived tough economic times the first two waves of the pandemic during the spring and summer. Despite dealing with the impact of a third wave, the store is now less than three months away from celebrating its one-year anniversary.
And Flores’ optimism hasn’t wavered.
“I believe that things are going to get better,” Flores said. “We’re still here, and we’ll keep going.”
Matt Hollinshead covers sports for the Daily Times. He can be reached at 505-564-4577, mhollinshead@daily-times.com and on Twitter at @MattH_717.
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