We all have a role to play in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve. Hannah Lucas recognized that she could help her community in northern Maine by delivering groceries to seniors using her teams of sled dogs. The 22-year-old entrepreneur is making a big difference in a large rural area. The response has been so positive, she plans to continue offering the service after the pandemic has passed.
She Saw Seniors Out Shopping for Basic Necessities
Hannah was working at the Circle-K convenience store in Caribou, Maine. She noticed that senior members of her community were coming into the store to buy small amounts of basic necessities. That’s when she got the idea. She knew she could help the seniors themselves and her community at large by allowing the seniors to stay home and let her do the shopping. “I was seeing the elderly coming in and only buying small amounts of food, like a gallon of milk or eggs or fruit,” Hannah told Insider. “And I really just wanted to help minimize their risk with the pandemic going on.”
Two Deliveries Were Made on the First Day
Hannah took to a local Facebook group to announce her willingness to deliver groceries. She had moved to Caribou for dog sled racing and spends most of her time training with the Northlane Siberian Huskies and Seppala Siberian Sled Dog Team. She figured she could use the trail system and have her customers meet her at the trailhead closest to their home to pick up their order. After she posted the idea to the local Facebook group, the response was overwhelming. That first day, she and her team made two deliveries. The very next day, her orders tripled!
Two Teams Travel 50-75 Miles a Day on Deliveries
Hannah started receiving more and more requests. She enlisted the help of another musher and is now sending out two dog sled teams every day. Each team makes four to six deliveries every single day and covers a distance of 50-75 miles in the process. The customers are thrilled when they see the dogs coming. Hannah told Insider that one couple even cried when they received their order.
The Dogs Love it Just as Much as the Customers
The dogs are delivering happiness along with the groceries. They bring a smile to everyone’s faces. Hannah told Insider, “A lot of the people really enjoy seeing the dogs, and they’re always really thankful when they see us coming up with their groceries.” But the dogs are just as happy as the customers are. Hannah said, “They love it. As soon as we start to pull their harnesses down off of the wall, they kind of know that they’re getting the chance to go out and have some fun.”
Hannah’s success has opened her eyes to the possibility of running this business well beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. She plans to pick things up again next winter, offering her services anytime snow is on the ground. In the meantime, she will keep running her sled dogs as long as she can to help flatten the curve in her rural community.
Hannah is paying for the seniors’ groceries on her own, but due to popular demand, is now accepting donations from those who want to help. You can donate on Facebook!
H/T insider.com
Featured Image Fundraiser for Hannah Lucas/Facebook
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