NISC Programs of Excellence 

• Year Awarded: 2021
• Programs of Excellence Name: Grocery Delivery
• Hosting Organization: Eden Prairie Senior Center, Minnesota
• Eden Prairie Population: 65,000
• Daily Senior Center Participants: 90-150

About Grocery Delivery

For older adults who could not get to a store and/or shop safely, the Eden Prairie Senior Center's Grocery Deliver program provied weekly grocery runs and much-needed personal contact.

As part of the emergency interim food program, senior center staff made calls to find out who was most in need and really could not get food for themselves. Staff would call participants on a regular basis to find out what they were lacking and what they needed. 

Staff would also provide other resources as needed. This reliable and personal connection allowed vulnerable seniors to stay healthy, keep connected, and not suffer from malnutrition or dehydration. Each week the staff would call on these individuals and ask the same questions to make sure all their personal needs were being met. 

Key takeaways from Grocery Delivery:

• Vulnerable and at-risk seniors were heavily impacted by COVID-19 isolation measures, and were incredibly grateful for personal contact and the service provided. 
• The vulnerable members of the community were hesitant to ask for help, so for the grocery delivery service to come looking to them was an unexpected and valuable amenity. 
• Seeing the different members of the Eden Prairie community come together to help desperate seniors was inspirational. People across multiple agencies in the city contributed to this program. 
• It is important to have resources available to at-risk seniors, but even more important to give those seniors easy access to that information. 
• Seeing and hearing the immediate impact of this program makes is so much easier to serve older adults. 

About Eden Prairie Senior Center

The mission of the Eden Prairie Senior Center is to: provide for social, recreational, educational, physical, and psychological needs; enhance the visibility of older adults; and promote the participation of older adults in all aspects of community life. The senior center works to achieve its mission by offering exceptional programs ranging from lifelong learning classes, fitness and wellness activities, discussion and support groups, special events and trips.