The Advantages of Being in South Jersey
By Albert B. Kelly
Ask any elected official in South Jersey if this end of the
state gets due consideration in comparison to the northern part of the state
and they’ll rattle off a list of injustices and slights that will make your
head spin. The list might include anything from less Department of
Transportation funding and fewer Covid-19 test kits to relatively little press
coverage and an overall lack of respect. In fact, the whole question of getting
our fair share was the subject of an in-depth study a few years ago.
But for all of the things we might point to as being disadvantages
of living in this part of the state, it sometimes helps to focus on some of the
things, like our smaller size and intimate connections with each other, that are
actually to our benefit. Such things let us punch above our weight. One recent
example of this that impressed me greatly is the food program for senior
citizens launched by the Cumberland County Sherriff’s Office.
As we work together to get through this Covid-19 global
pandemic, Sheriff Austino and his team in the Special Services Division have
put together a program to ensure that senior citizens, who are most at risk for
serious health problems should they become infected with the novel coronavirus,
are able to avoid the risks involved with going to the grocery store to buy
their weekly groceries.
The program is in collaboration with Shop Rite in Millville.
In some instances, residents would set up the Shop Rite app on their phone or
computer and once set up, the resident can place their order with Shop Rite and
then call the Sheriff’s Office with the order number. After personnel at Shop
Rite assemble the order, an officer with the Sheriff’s Office will pick up the
order and bring it to the senior citizen’s home.
For those senior citizens who do not have a smart phone or
computer to download the Shop Rite app but are still in need of essential
items, they can call the Sheriff’s Office and provide a list of essentials and
an officer will go to the store, purchase the items, and bring them to the
senior citizen’s home. All protocols for social distancing are observed with
officers wearing masks and gloves to keep people safe.
If you are a senior citizen in need of these services or if
you have questions about how the program works and what is involved for
yourself or a loved one, you can contact the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
at (856) 451-4449, Extension 25132 and speak with Officer Erica Quinones who
can provide the details.
For some, this program may not sound like much, but if you
are a senior citizen who doesn’t have the luxury of being able to call upon
younger and less vulnerable family and friends to help out, this program could
be the difference between staying home remaining healthy or venturing out and getting
sick- between living and dying.
It is true that there are a host of such services out there
including “Instacart”, “Peapod”, or “Shipt” just as it is true that companies
like Walmart and Amazon provide delivery services; but for safe, affordable,
and timely my money is on Sheriff Austino and his officers. They’re doing this
not to grow the customer base as would be the case in the private sector; they are
providing this service because they care about the senior citizens in
Cumberland County.
That’s not to say that other Sheriff’s offices in other
counties aren’t invested in their residents well-being, but I’m not so sure
that they’re able to provide such services in the more densely populated
counties and metro areas. And in a world where seniors are vulnerable to scams,
rip-offs, and all sorts of exploitation I take comfort in knowing that our
senior citizens can get the essentials they need and the knock at their door
will be from officer looking out for them.
This program and others like it, such as the Battle of the
Cities blood drive on June 25th at the County college campus where donors can cast
a vote for Bridgeton, Millville or Vineland first responders reminds me of some
of the advantages of living in our part of the state. We can see the needs up
close and personal, but we also have some creative solutions and that’s no
small thing.