Store owner gives away 'Coronavirus kits' worth over $6,000 to seniors preparing for quarantine

We've seen the best and worst of humanity come out in these past few months as we all embrace social distancing as the new norm. Since we already have enough on our plates to worry about, it's now more important than ever to focus on the good parts and hold on to the little faith we have in our species. One such good to come out of this pandemic is the actions of a shopowner in northwest Edinburgh, Scotland, who's looking out for the elderly in his community who're among those most affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.

Zahid Iqbal, who runs the Day-Today convenience store at Drylaw Shopping Centre, has shelled out thousands of dollars to make sure his older customers are taken care of even as the world struggles to curb the spread of COVID-19. As the elderly are at a considerably higher risk of catching the virus and since most store shelves are being left empty by those hoarding essential items, Iqbal has been giving out free "Coronavirus kits" to customers over the age of 65 and those with mobility issues facing self-isolation. Those who cannot make it to the store to pick up their kits, even have the option to get it home delivered.

Speaking to Edinburgh News, the 34-year-old revealed that the idea came to him while accompanying his parents to a local supermarket where they were met by a shocking number of empty shelves. "All the youngsters are picking stuff up and the older ones are being left out," he said. "We have lots of customers from the local care homes, as well as disabled customers, who can’t get hand sanitizers, loo rolls, or anything at all. We just want to set a good example in this world."

Each Coronavirus kit—which includes one toilet roll, an anti-bacterial handwash, a packet of pocket tissues, and one packet of paracetamol—costs around £5 (approximately $6) to make. Iqbal has already given away over 1000 kits and although it cost his business a whopping £5,000 ($6,100), he insists his loyal customers are worth every penny during these times of uncertainty. "Money can be made in the future... Right now, we need to do our part for the community. We want to help out for as long as we can manage and everybody needs to be doing their bit," he said. 

According to the Good News Network, Iqbal's store—which currently employs five people—has served the local community for more than 15 years. "I had to get staff in to do deliveries, and petrol’s not included. We’ve done quite a few deliveries to people who can’t get out and collecting. A lot of new people have been coming in showing appreciation as well and promising they’ll shop local in the future—lots of nice gestures," he said. "The appreciation we’ve been getting has been out of this world. You couldn’t get this kind of satisfaction if you spent thousands of pounds, it’s amazing."

"This week I was planning on doing food bags. If we run out of toilet rolls, then the next thing we want to do is pasta. If there’s a lockdown, people need to be able to look after themselves. The satisfaction you get helping people out is just amazing," he added. Iqbal revealed that although the store is currently refusing to take donations, he might consider it in the future depending on how things turn out.