No deliveries, curbside pick-up make grocery shopping during pandemic trickier in rural counties

Crowded supermarket aisles can make it difficult for shoppers to stay the recommended 6 feet apart to limit the spread of the virus. But some residents in Warrenton say they have no choice but to head out to buy their groceries.

"I use the hand sanitizer and wipe the wagon down, which I never thought to do," Deborah Speer said Wednesday.

Todd Leonard, 76, said his life could depend on services like grocery delivery or curbside pick-up, but he hasn't been able to find any in Warren County or even in Henderson in neighboring Vance County.

"It'd be so much safer," Leonard said, noting that he's had heart problems.

Food Lion is the only chain supermarket in Warren County. A spokeswoman said Food Lion offers grocery pick-up services in 208 of its 1,000-plus stores and delivery services "in about one-quarter of our footprint."

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While delivery services and pickup aren’t available in Warren County, Food Lion does offer residents age 60 and older and those with weakened immune systems time to shop by themselves from 7 to 8 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Local residents said they are also pulling together in time of need.

"You can only expect so much from the grocery store. That’s not their responsibility," Speer said. "We have to be responsible for ourselves also."