Newspaper Deliveryman Grocery Shops for the Elderly at No Extra Charge

A New Jersey newspaper deliveryman is making it his mission to do some grocery shopping for the elderly in addition to his delivery route.

Greg Dailey realized his mission when an 88-year-old woman was afraid to walk outside her home to pick up her paper because of the coronavirus pandemic, and requested that her paper be tucked against the garage of her home so she would not have to walk down her driveway, NJ.com reported.

“I called her up and said, ‘Hi, this is Greg, your newspaper guy — I’m at the store, do you need anything?’” Dailey told the Washington Post. “She asked me to pick up a couple of things, and then she called me back and said, ‘Could you also get some brown eggs and bananas for the Millers across the street?’”

Dailey figured that if he was going to help one or two people on his distribution route, why not help all 800 of them? So he tucked away a note inside all the newspapers he delivered.

“My name is Greg Dailey and I deliver your newspaper every morning,” the note began. “I understand during these trying times it is difficult for some to get out of their house to get everyday necessities. I would like to offer my services free of charge to anyone who needs groceries, household products, etc. I will be shopping at ShopRite and [McCaffrey’s] and can deliver the goods directly to your front door.”

After Dailey’s paper route ends around 7 a.m., he and his family shop at two local grocery stores in the community and make the day’s deliveries, after wiping all the groceries down with disinfecting wipes.

“I give everyone a head’s up that I’m going to drop by, then they put out an envelope for me with their payment,” Dailey said. “Sometimes, we’ll sit and talk a bit from a distance. To be honest, this is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

Dailey — who also owns a frame shop that is shut down due to New Jersey’s stay-at-home orders — does not charge for his delivery service, but his “customers” have paid it forward in smiles and thank you notes.