'Melrose Helps' Website Allows Residents To Sign Up For Volunteer Services During Coronavirus

MELROSE (CBS) – In Melrose, so many people have reached out to City Hall with ideas of how to help during the coronavirus pandemic, the Mayor came up with a plan to put all of those volunteers in one place. It's called Melrose Helps and you can find it on the city's webpage.

"Now we've got a wonderful platform built and I'm going to start reaching out into the senior community to start to see what people need and how we can help them," said Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur.

If you are a volunteer, you can list the things you are able to do or are comfortable doing during the crisis. The city will then match the volunteer with someone who might need help grocery shopping or picking up a prescription, even walking a dog.

There are also opportunities to help with a drive-by food bank run by the city. In some cases, help may be as simple as a phone call to check in on some of the city's elderly patients.

According to Brodeur, even though there is no shortage of people wanting to help, there are some limitations on what can be done.

"We also have to make sure both the volunteers and the people we are helping are safe and that can be a little harder than it sounds," he said.

The program can also help those who may have food insecurity learn how to access SNAP and EBT benefits.

Brodeur, who has only been mayor for a few months, says he's proud to represent such a giving community.

"Nothing can really prepare you for this to be sure, and knowing that the community's got your back and the community's kind of got everyone else's back, takes a lot of stress out " he said.