NASHUA – Over the weekend, United Way of Greater Nashua launched an online program that delivers groceries of a user’s choice to their home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to President Michael Apfelberg, the Shop United program is designed for individuals living anywhere in the greater Nashua region who are home bound, either from quarantine or other circumstances in which the pandemic has limited their access to resources.

The user-friendly webpage functions on an entirely volunteer, gift card-based system. The user selects from a drop-down list of stores, types in a their own, personalized, shopping list, and then receives a delivery from a volunteer.

The no-cost program works with both credit cards and SNAP or EBT payment methods.

Although the gift card must be purchased through the Shop United program, cards with a remaining balance will be delivered back to the user.

Apfelberg made apparent, however, that Shop United is only for those who truly need it. “The system will not work if everyone in Nashua starts to use it,” he said, it’s designed for “a couple hundred orders a week to feed people in their homes in a safe and healthy way.”

“What people need to remember is that it’s not perfect and that we have to be patient,” said Apfelberg, “If (a user) puts ‘Kellog’s Cheerios’ on the list and Market Basket doesn’t have them but has the store brand, then we’re going to get them the store brand … if the store is out of Cheerios, then we probably just won’t include it.”

For more information on volunteering visit their website at unitedwaynashua.org. To use the service, either text SHOP UNITED to 41444.

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