Monday, March 12, 2012

OCCUPY SUPERMARKETS - SENIORS AND HANDICAPPED NEGLECTED

 
 
 
March 12, 2012
 
I learned today that Les Marche Esposito in Montreal support Dans La Rue which helps to feed the poor in Montreal. This was an interesting surprise to me because of what I just went through this week with the Esposito Supermarket.
 
I am 75 years old, widowed, a pensioner, and handicapped. I have been doing business with Esposito since 2009 when I was diagnosed with bone cancer - because I am unable to shop and Esposito is one of the rare supermarkets in Montreal that accepts telephone orders and delivers - usually.
 
Here is the story. Read this and see why I am calling for OCCUPY SUPERMARKETS.  

March 7, 2012
 
ESPOSITO FAILS TO DELIVER. It is 8:00 PM, March 7. At about 10:30 this morning, I telephoned Esposito to make my regular grocery order.
 
Today is the second time that Esposito has failed to deliver. The last time they said they had just lost my order.
 
I have been calling them all day today and getting the run around - "The delivery man is on the way."
 
Just before 8:00 PM, I was finally told the delivery man has gone home and left my order in the truck and he'll deliver my food tomorrow.
 
I have not eaten all day, but there is nothing Esposito can do. Sorry.
 
When Esposito tells you that your food is on the way, you had better have a tin of tuna left from your last grocery order. I have half a tin of tuna left from yesterday and a few slices of bread. I will have to use part of my grocery money to buy take-out now.
 
And what condition will my perishables be in when they deliver them tomorrow?
 
I hope I'll have enough money left to pay when Esposito finally delivers.
 
We seniors and handicapped, are a captive audience.  
 
I had no food on Wednesday.
 
At 8:00 PM on Wednesday evening. when Esposito told me their driver had gone home and left my groceries on the truck, I had to call out for food. There went a part of my grocery money - and my night's sleep.
 
So, on Thursday, I did not have the money for my grocery order... and I had even less food left in my place.
 
Friday, March 9. At about 10;45 AM, I called Esposito to place my order again. They say that their driver is away and they have no replacement. They don't know when they will have a driver to do deliveries.
 
How am I going to get groceries ? I can drive very well, but I can hardly walk. I can't shop.
 
I called the CLSC  - (Quebec Community Clinic and Social Services). I was advised to ask Social Intake for help. But Social Intake does not answer the phone. Leave a message. There is a system. There is no way to get food today.
 
I called the Senior Citizens' Council, of which I am a member. Suzanne suggested I call the Food Bank. But it isn't that simple. The Food Bank could not help. There is  a system. There is no way to get food today.
 
There is a Provigo that takes phone orders and delivers, but they only take calls on Wednesdays - and today is Friday.
 
And so it goes when you can't walk. When you can't walk, you can't eat.
 
When you can't walk, you can give up and move into a home for the hopeless.
 
But not today. Today, you have to find a way to get food. But how ?
 
When you can't walk, you can call your friends and they will rush to your place with delicious hot food and love. But then you are no longer who you were. You are no longer independent. You are dependent on others to take care of you. Why?
 
If I did not have money, I could well have collapsed this week.
 
Fortunately, I was able to get to the bank by taxi - at great expense - and I was able to order take-out for my suppers and get through until Saturday. But I had no fruits or vegetables, almost no bread left, a few eggs, two cans of sardines ... you get the picture.
 
It took days and dozens of telephone calls and emails - night after night with almost no sleep, and ingenuity to use the little food I had left to carry me through.
 
I appealed for help to many places and people - see list below. Not one person answered.
 
I did not ask any of my friends for help because each one has their own burden. I can't bear to add to what they already have to deal with.
 
Fortunately, my persistence finally persuaded Esposito's management to find an employee in their store to deliver my food on Saturday.  The young man who brought my food was very pleasant and I was so relieved and grateful to see him - and my groceries - at my door. I was so hungry, I didn't know whether to kiss him or dive into the food head first.
 
But, while I was on the telephone with Esposito, I heard the employees talking. They were refusing to deliver to anyone else.
 
There are people out there who are not receiving groceries this week.
 
Does anyone think for a moment that I am alone in this ?
 
I have a dear friend who has just had knee surgery. She lives on the West Island of Montreal and she is facing the same problem of not having a supermarket that will take an order on the telephone and deliver groceries.
 
Something must be done about this. Social service organizations must make a determined and immediate effort to get supermarkets to provide this very vital service to seniors, the handicapped, single mothers and anyone else who needs to be able to order groceries by phone and have them delivered.
 

Copied to - (No one answered)
 
 
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)