Safeway, Whole Foods Market and other local grocery stores have set up hours for seniors and people with underlying medical conditions to shop away from crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.

Safeway has announced that it is reserving its stores from 6-9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for customers who need to shop away from crowds.

“During those times, we ask that you avoid shopping so that the stores can be available for senior citizens, and other at-risk members of our community such as pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems,” Safeway said in a statement on its Facebook Page.

Whole Foods Market throughout Sonoma County are opening their doors from 8-9 a.m. every day for customers who are 60 years and older, according to a news release. Stores also will close up to two hours early to give employees time to sanitize and restock shelves. Click here for more information, and click here for a list of store locations and hours.

Target is reserving its first hour every Wednesday for seniors and people with underlying medical conditions, according to its website. In Santa Rosa and Petaluma, the stores will open to these shoppers from 8-9 a.m.

Oliver’s Market is opening its doors to seniors from 6-7 a.m. every day. It also is offering seniors a 10% discount, according its website.

Nugget Market (500 W. Napa St., Sonoma) will offer senior hours from 6-8 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning March 24. During that time, anyone who is at least 65 years old or has a medical condition can shop. Click here for more information.

Petaluma Market is opening its doors at 6 a.m. for seniors and people who are immunocompromised to shop, according to its website.

Raley’s is not offering special hours but is assembling bags of groceries for seniors available for store pickup beginning on Saturday, March 21. Seniors have two options: a $20-bag of groceries that includes produce and pantry items or a $35-bag that includes ready-to-eat meals. The groceries will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, and people will be limited to one bag per family per day. Get more information here.

Trader Joe’s and Lucky are not offering special hours for seniors.

Although these hours are intended to keep people at higher risk of coronavirus away from crowds, some experts also have expressed concern that the stores could be overcrowded at these hours as well.

If you’re worried, it’s best to have a family member or friend shop for you, Dr. Alysa Krain, who specializes in geriatric medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, told The Washington Post.

“It was a good idea in general, but it’s a little bit dangerous if it’s not controlled,” Krain told the publication.

Safeway
406 N Main St, Sebastopol
Open 6am-10pm everyday
Senior Shopping Hours 6am-9am Tuesday and Thursday
Delivery and pick up available out of the Marlow Store

Lucky’s
776 Gravenstein Hwy N, Sebastopol
Open 6am-10pm
No special senior shopping hours

Community Market
6762 Sebastopol Ave #100, Sebastopol
Store closed
Curbside pickup available 707-407-4029

Whole Foods
6910 McKinley St, Sebastopol
Open 9am-8pm
Senior Shopping Hours 8am-9am

Fircrest Market
998 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol
Open Mon-Sat 8am-9pm and Sunday 9am-8pm
No special senior shopping hours

Raleys (on Fulton Rd)
1407 Fulton Rd, Santa Rosa
Open 6am-11pm
Online shopping and delivery through ecart

Other options:
Instacart
What is Instacart? Customers shop for groceries through the Instacart mobile app or Instacart.com from the company’s more than 350 national, regional and local retailer partners.The order is shopped and delivered by an Instacart personal shopper.

Amazon prime with whole foods delivery
If you are am Amazon Prime Member, you can click on the link below to find out more about grocery delivery through Whole Foods. 
If you use this option, please consider using Amazon Smile.  A portion of the proceeds can benefit the Sebastopol Area Senior Center. Here’s how to use Amazon Smile. You must enter in Sebastopol Area Senior Center for proceeds to benefit the Senior Center.