WASHINGTON — Peter Meijer, who is running for Congress in west Michigan and whose family started the Meijer grocery chain, said Monday his campaign will begin delivering care packages to vulnerable people in response to coronavirus.

Meijer's campaign put a link on his campaign website, www.operationfred.com, where people in west Michigan can request care packages that will include groceries such as canned goods and dry goods and toiletries, including soap and other hygiene products.

The website says that people who may be particularly vulnerable to the virus — presumably such as older Michiganders — and unable to shop for themselves can ask for the packages or someone can ask for one on their behalf.

A campaign spokesman, Noah Sadlier, said the campaign is trying to get out 250 packages first before determining whether more are needed. He said each will include roughly $25-$50 worth of items and that they will be paid for by campaign funds already received.

Sadlier said the campaign is confident the operation complies with federal campaign law and that the items will be purchased where they can be bought in bulk most efficiently, not necessarily Meijer stores.

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Information from people asking for the packages will not be used for fundraising or other political purposes, the campaign said.

The Meijer campaign has answers to questions about the program on its website.

"Starting on Tuesday, our team will shop for and deliver essential food and staple items to our vulnerable neighbors who cannot leave their homes to shop for themselves during this pandemic,” Meijer said. “Now that the ongoing coronavirus outbreak has spread to west Michigan, with Kent County reporting its first confirmed case of coronavirus last week, I believe we must put politics aside and focus on protecting the most vulnerable in these extraordinary times.”

Meijer is running for the Republican nomination in west Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, which is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, a former Republican who left that party last year to become an independent. Amash is running for re-election.

The campaign made clear that people outside the 3rd District can ask for care packages, however.

More:West Michigan businessman leaves race to succeed U.S. Rep. Justin Amash

Meijer faces state Rep. Lynn Afendoulis, R-Grand Rapids, former Sand Lake Village President Tom Norton and attorney Emily Rafi for the Republican nomination. Hillary Scholten, who worked at the Department of Justice under President Barack Obama, is running for the Democratic nomination.

Contact Todd Spangler attspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. Read more onMichigan politics and sign up for ourelections newsletter.