SUFFOLK, Va. - Going to the grocery store during the coronavirus outbreak can be risky.
For one, the virus spreads more easily in public places and if a store is out of high-demand product, shoppers might leave without what they need.
That's where delivery services like The Neighborhood Harvest come in.
"In the face of this crisis, we actually feel we're mission-driven," said Thomas Vandiver, President. "We're helping people get access to the food that either the stores are sold out of or more importantly for the immune-compromised, elderly, people that really need to be sheltering in place, they can't even get to it."
Founded in 2012, The Neighborhood Harvest delivers produce, meats, eggs, breads and more in a weekly service around Hampton Roads.
The produce comes from its Suffolk greenhouse and much of everything else from farms around Virginia.
The company, which calls its products 'beyond organic', tells News 3 it was making roughly 3,000 weekly deliveries prior to the coronavirus outbreak.
Now, it's making 4,000 each week and climbing.
"We don't want to turn anyone away and at this stage we're able to handle the growth," said Vandiver.
That's because Vandiver says he's hired around 30 restaurant workers recently let go from their old jobs. They help at the packing facility and in delivery.
"We're just so thankful there are so many amazing restaurant workers, food service workers to step into the breach," he said. "They've never run a delivery truck before but they learn quick and we're working very hard to be able to accommodate that influx (of new customers)."
The Neighborhood Harvest is also ordering more meats, eggs and other products from Virginia farmers, filling a gap left from restaurants that haven't ordered as much food in recent weeks.
To sign up for The Neighborhood Harvest, visit their website. You can also reach out on Facebook and by calling (757) 809-3577.
The company says it will waive its traditional $30 sign-up fee with the coupon code 'FB2020'.
