Invisible Hands delivers connection to communities in need
For the elderly, those who are immunocompromised, or people with disabilities, quarantine means facing severe isolation. But thanks to Invisible Hands, a grassroots grocery delivery service based in NY and NJ, members of these communities can feel a little less alone.
“People who are homebound are faced with an impossible choice: Go outside and risk your life or stay home and starve, both from lack of social connection and literal nutrition,” said Invisible Hands co-founder Liam Elkind. “To a lot of these people to whom we’re delivering, they’re lonely and scared… What they need beyond just groceries is a friendly face, so we’re here to just be someone’s friend.”
Just a few months ago, the Yale junior was registering voters over spring break in Philadelphia, PA. When the Coronavirus outbreak began, he returned home to New York, NY, but still felt compelled to help.
“I’ve got so much time on my frequently washed hands,” said Elkind, who began his collegiate career as a theatre major before shifting focus to ethics, politics and economics upon greater exposure to the country’s inequities. Reflecting upon those first few days after returning home, he added, “These doctors, nurses and janitorial staff are out there serving those in need and I’m just watching Netflix. What else can I be doing?”
Quite a bit, it turned out. Shortly after returning home, Simone Policano, a friend of Elkind’s, posted on Facebook inquiring if her network was familiar with any nonprofits connecting immunocompromised people with healthy individuals to deliver groceries and other home supplies. Elkind noticed the idea’s overwhelmingly positive response in the comments. Realizing no such organization existed in their area, he suggested they create it themselves.
Policano and Elkind, along with their friend Healy Chait, bought a Squarespace domain, opting to pay $26 monthly to utilize the platform’s capacity to accept donations. Within a few weeks, Invisible Hands grew to more than 12,000 volunteers, who now complete approximately 100 deliveries daily.
What strikes Elkind the most is how the service has provided so many opportunities for connection purely through conversations residents have with their delivery volunteers.
“I’ve made so many friends in this era of social distancing, it’s the strangest thing,” said Elkind.
When we spoke, Elkind noted he was running on fumes from coordinating operations, but palpable joy emerged in his voice describing the unexpected bonds he’s made. An older woman tried setting him up with her granddaughter after a delivery, he recalled, laughing, and the Invisible Hands team surprised an elderly person who had run out of food on their 77th birthday with expedited delivery and a card.
“These older folks have done so much for our communities,” he said. “The least we can do is do your shopping in the midst of a global pandemic.”
Among Elkind’s favorite regulars is Carol, who consistently offers him tea and cookies during every drop off. In conversing through her door, Elkind and Carol discovered they used to regularly attend the same synagogue. Once it reopens, he can’t wait to look for her so they can finally share tea and cookies together.
“It has brought out the best in people and it has brought out the best in me,” Elkind said of his experiences thus far. “I’m running a nonprofit I never expected to run and it has renewed my faith in humanity. I’m so moved every time I see someone claim a delivery.”
Similar to on-demand services like the dog walking app Wag!, to place an order, a community member visits the Invisible Hands website, submitting their location and a request for what they need. The Invisible Hands team, using Slack to operate, pings requests to volunteers in the matching area. They claim requests nearly instantaneously. Upon completing deliveries, Invisible Hands volunteers are reimbursed via CashApp or Zelle, often by recipients’ grandchildren. Recognizing the financially vulnerable state many community members are in, Invisible Hands doesn’t charge a delivery fee.
“We’re not just Instacart for free, we’re a grassroots neighborhood organization,” said Elkind.
He mentioned having always been inspired by people coming together in times of crisis, remembering waiting to check out with his mother in a market shortly after 9/11. His mother asked the clerk if she could cover grocery costs for two firefighters ahead of her, and Elkind remembers him laughing and jokingly telling her to get in line — six others had already made the same offer.
“There’s always a need for good will and just goodness, and I think that’s something that’ll endure long after this is over,” he said.
Invisible Hands operates tax-deductibly, with donations covering legal and software costs. Unpaid volunteers are required to confirm they haven’t showed symptoms or traveled within 14 days. They wear masks and gloves during their shifts and sanitize their shopping baskets.
“It’s terrifying work,” said Elkind. “Our volunteers often come home exhausted, then they look at the [Slack] channel and see messages from recipients, see handwritten notes and pastries left outside. They see that, and they put back on their mask to go help their community.”
As it’s grown, Invisible Hands has partnered with other community organizations performing bulk deliveries, like City Harvest. While they’ve received several expansion requests, Elkind said their goal is to grow sustainably, partnering with legal advisors and local leaders doing similar work in communities they know as well as he and his cofounders know NYC.
“People have reached out from across the country and across the world,” Elkind said, noting contacts they’ve received from Malta, Canada, and Australia. “We don’t want to be the Fyre Fest of nonprofits. We’re making sure we have a sustainable model we can replicate.”
Elkind considers Invisible Hands’ early success a testament to the power of grassroots activism, as well as an effective means of fulfillment for healthy people getting restless at home.
“We got lucky and we reached out to people with a good idea of a way to do good,” he said. “When we pull together, we pull through.”
