© Photo Provided by Trip Wright Trip Wright collecting groceries.



St. Xavier High School's mission statement reads "men for others." That's something junior Trip Wright takes to heart.



As the novel coronavirus pandemic continued, Wright looked for a way to get involved. He became inspired by an article about a college student in New York City who created a grocery and prescription delivery service in his area called Invisible Hands Deliver.

Within six hours, Wright brought that idea to Cincinnati with the website zoomfooddeliver.com. The site has been up for two weeks and in that time he has recruited 70 volunteers and fulfilled 30 orders. Between his Zoom online classes he checks orders and emails to help correspond between people in need and his volunteers.

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“I had my doubts being a 17-year-old starting something that could potentially grow to a pretty large size,” Wright said. “But I said, 'If I don’t do it, I’m going to regret not being able to make a difference to help those in need.'”

The whole purpose of the organization is to provide safe and free grocery deliveries to the elderly, anyone who can’t make it to the stores on their own and those most susceptible to contracting the virus.



© Photo Provided by Trip Wright Trip Wright delivering groceries through Zoom Food Deliver.



The radius of neighborhood coverage stretches along most of interstate 275. Wright says as long as volunteers want to help the radius will keep expanding.



There is no delivery fee included in grocery drop-offs. Customers can choose to have their groceries chosen by Kroger's ClickList employees or they can request the volunteers do the shopping for them. Volunteers are reimbursed for the groceries by Cash App, Venmo or check.

Wright has raised $1,000 in donations so far, which he's used for gas expenses and hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, gloves and masks for volunteers to use during deliveries.

“What we’re hoping to do is to take that money – if there is excess at the end of all this – we will donate it to a local food bank pantry or a nonprofit charity in our region committed to helping the underserved,” Wright said.

Wright really just wants to get the word out about this avenue of volunteering for those who can and to serve those who need help.

“One thing I love about Cincinnati is that people are always willing to come together and to help and support each other.”

The Enquirer will provide regular stories of kindness and levity displayed as Greater Cincinnatians cope with the new coronavirus pandemic.



Here are more:



Bellevue fitness instructor, Michelle Reynolds Madden keeps seniors moving

Bellevue Mayor Charlie Cleves’ father moved into a retirement community recently. With both his parents residing in a retirement community it dawned on him that neither of his 90-year-old parents - as well as other seniors - were getting any exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He then connected with fitness instructor Michelle Reynolds Madden, owner of Energi Total Wellness Studio. Madden owns Energi, located in Bellevue, which offers classes in yoga, pilates, cardio and strength training.

“I was excited to be asked to be a part of this project, having been a nurse in an adult day care center, where I had previously taught an exercise program,” Madden said.

Maor Cleves then contacted Jennifer Teipel, executive director of the Campbell County Cable Board. The exercise videos will now air every weekday at 8 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.on weekends. Seniors can tune in channel 810 on Cincinnati Bell and channel 202 on Spectrum to watch and participate.

The videos also can be viewed here on Campbell County Media's website.

Celebrity pledges

With Ohio's K-12 schools in remote learning because of the coronavirus restrictions, Loveland Elementary Principal Jennifer Forren has been making morning announcements by video each day to the school's third and fourth-graders. The effort replaces what she would normally do in the building where she gives the announcements from different rooms each day

In order to keep the students connected, she includes student birthdays and a student "joke of the day." Her son helps produce the video with added sound effects and graphics. She switches locations from her backyard to the front yard to inside to change things up.

The message concludes with the Pledge of Allegiance with the students asked to stand as they would if they were actually in the building.

The wrinkle Forren has added is to have a surprise guest lead the pledge. She began reaching out to community leaders including Reds Hall of Fame announcer Marty Brennaman.

Others who have submitted videos include WLWT's Randi Rico and Sheree Paolello, Jeff Piecoro of Fox Sports Ohio, Cincinnati Zoo director Thane Maynard, Miami University football coach Chuck Martin and Miami President Greg Crawford and Cincinnati Cyclones coach Matt Thomas. Other guest pledges are in the works including other teachers or anyone the principal can persuade that the young Tigers may recognize from the arts, entertainment, news or sports world.

Organizations or individuals interested may contact Principal Jennifer Forren at forrenje@lovelandschools.org.

"In this time of emergency distance learning, it's important to give the kids something that was normal for their day," Forren said. "There's no substitution for seeing them face-to-face but this is a really good opportunity to connect with them."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Coronavirus in Ohio: St. Xavier student creates website for grocery delivery during pandemic