Grocery shopping program a healthy alternative amid virus concerns

Well-known in her adopted hometown of Dover-Foxcroft as a musical teacher, Lauralyn Buie’s professional life already has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rather than providing face-to-face instruction at the Buie School of Music, located in a former church on Pleasant Street, she is teaching online lessons to approximately 30 students this spring.

“I think it’s a lot of fun, and I think they’re learning more,” said Buie, whose teaching specialties include piano, voice, guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele and African drums. “I’m finding that the students are having to do a little more of their own work on the internet when I’m not right there sitting beside them saying, ‘Wait a minute.’

Contributed photo
GROCERY DELIVERIES — Dover-Foxcroft musical teacher Lauralyn Buie, who has her groceries delivered to her home through a local program called Community Pulling Together.

“I think next year I might do two lessons in the studio if everything’s fine with this COVID and two lessons over the internet,” she said.

Just as Buie has adapted her musical pursuits, she has made other changes to protect her health amid the ongoing outbreak as she approaches her 70th birthday.

That includes utilizing a new local program — Community Pulling Together — that shops and delivers groceries for people who are self-isolating at home or otherwise concerned about their medical well-being.

Buie, who has been hospitalized with a heart issue, coordinates with a volunteer to receive her groceries at home every other Friday morning. Volunteers wear gloves and masks during packing and delivery.

“I take this COVID-19 very, very seriously,” said Buie, who moved to the central Maine shiretown from New York City in 1987. “For one thing, I want to see what this Earth is like when we get to the other side.”

Buie is one of more than a dozen local seniors already taking advantage of the new shopping effort organized at The Commons — the Dover-Foxcroft-based home of various multigenerational community outreach programs.

“To be honest with you, I’m not getting as many requests as I had expected and I’m still a little perplexed about that,” said Dr. Lesley Fernow, an internist/geriatrician who practiced medicine in the area for 38 years until her retirement in 2017. She still resides in Dover-Foxcroft and serves as president of The Commons’ board of directors.

“If you talk to other people in the region who are doing food deliveries of various sorts — particularly the food cupboards or the Eastern Area Agency on Aging and Meals on Wheels — their numbers are up enormously, and I think what that reflects is No. 1, we have a low-income community and people are out of work so we’re seeing a shift to food cupboards and free deliveries,” Fernow said.

Clients place their orders with Community Pulling Together via email or phone, then volunteer shoppers purchase the groceries through the program’s relationship with Will’s Shop ‘n Save and provide home delivery at designated times.

The customer pays for the order by check or credit card.

“It’s working pretty well,” said Fernow of the program, which is funded partly through a grant from The New England Grassroots Environment Fund COVID-19 response program awarded to The Commons Energy Collaborative.

“It’s an interesting situation we’re facing. People don’t want to admit they need help and are reluctant, but the people we are shopping for are very grateful.”

One reason the program hasn’t yet caught on as much as Fernow had hoped is that during this time of stay-at-home mandates, special shopping hours for seniors at local grocery stores such as Will’s provides an opportunity to get outside the home and briefly interact with friends and other residents.

For the outgoing Buie, the shopping program represents a healthy alternative amid the pandemic concerns.

“I’d been in the hospital, and when Lesley called about having my groceries delivered it was like synchronicity because I want to be here when this is over,” she said. “The lady that brings my groceries is so kind and loving and I’m telling as many people as I can about it.

“I’ve got a friend who lives down the street from me who’s 74 and I’ve told her about it. I’ve told as many elders as I can that you don’t have to go out to get your groceries.”

For information on the Community Pulling Together program, phone or text 343-3018 or email info@CentralHallCommons.org.