SAFETY POLICIES & SHOPPING TIPS

A Good Fairy guide to smart shopping

When we started Good Fairy our primary purpose was to do essential grocery shopping for older adults and high risk individuals who had no supplies and no other means of support. Even those who turned to online shopping faced issues with delays/expense/half completed orders.

Today we continue to support with shopping but with a fresh awareness that all Good Fairies must minimize travel and the number of trips.

Here is our focus:

  1. See Fairy hygiene tips section for safe practice . Contact team@goodfairy.org if you need gloves, we often have some to offer.

  2. Safety: Unless stated, neither parties ( Fairy delivering and Fairy recipient) are vetted in any way. Fairies should proceed with an abundance of caution. We recommend the door between you says shut. If a fairy is delivering groceries or a jigsaw or seedlings to a senior they should call before arriving so as not to startle anyone, leave things on the doorstep or where directed and walk a good distance away from the door then phone to say the goods are there. Payment is done before you get there normally using Venmo or Paypal or by the senior leaving a check at the door. Often both parties enjoy a little contact and the senior wishes to say thank you. We recommend leaving a thank you note at the door and waving at the window maybe being on the phone at the same time. No fairy should expect to enter property. No senior should stand at their open door with a fairy at their doorstep. Please also look at shopping tips and hygiene guides on our web site. If either party is in any way not comfortable working with their fairy partner, let us know intermediately for a no quibble change.

  3. When possible shop online. Our Fairy Experts can help with getting started. If this isn't possible fairies might consider shopping online FOR the person they are supporting.

  4. Plan ahead. Order online now for when they can deliver to reduce future shopping requests.

  5. Explore grocery pick up options. ( see handy links section)

  6. Take advantage of newly expanded Marin County Health and Human Services offerings. EVERYONE 60 or older OR high risk should contact Marin County 415-457-4636 to inquire about free meals and grocery delivery programs. If you are under 60 and need meals, there is a different number 415-473-7191. (Here is the press release on Marin's Food Resources Available for Vulnerable Individuals )

  7. Fairy partners should primarily shop for others when doing their own shopping.

  8. Be flexible in the items and stores required

  9. The Good Fairy Community will support each other with single toilet rolls when packs are not available rather than have a Good Fairy do multiple trips to secure one.

  10. Payment. Good Fairies are not expected to cover the cost of groceries or delivery. Most people pay by check or electronic services such as Venmo or Paypal. And our Fairy Experts can help getting those started when useful. When finishing a shop, send the receipt to the recipient so they can pay the bill before you deliver the goodies or have the check waiting in a baggie. Fairies do not take credit cards/ATM cards from partners but can take EBT cash assistance cards such as CalFresh. To formalize this, you may use this form to nominate a fairy as a CalFresh Authorized representative.

  11. NOTE on Costco: Fairies should take their partner's Costco card in addition to their own when shopping for items that may have a limited number/customer restriction. There was a sad day when a fairy had to decide between a chicken for her partner or her own family :0(.

Note on Driving

On the rare occasions that fairies drive each other, it is advised that both people to wear a mask, the passenger should sit in the rear passenger side and there should be an open window.

For a comprehensive list of Marin shops offering online services/pick up/delivery/senior hours please see our helpful links page