Shop Ahoy! Ventura grocery program hoping to offer services in Santa Barbara

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - Volunteers with Shop Ahoy are in a hurry getting groceries in the Ventura area.

“It’s kind of crazy busy I have questions that I’ve got to ask the people to take the order," said volunteer Sally Brownlow of Shop Ahoy.

"Oh, we got cottage cheese, and bread and wine and water and we have a little bit of everything," said volunnteer Judy Sutton of Shop Ahoy.

But the groceries are not for themselves.

They're shopping for homebound seniors throughout Ventura County.

"We want to stay at our home, and this allows seniors to do that, so stay in their own home where they’re comfortable with their things and you know as long as they can function on their own and we’re gonna be there to help them," said organizer Valerie Shackelford of Shop Ahoy.

Once they're finished shopping, the Shop Ahoy team then delivers the groceries to its clients throughout the county.

“Been coming for 5 years and I Continue to do so it’s a great way to help people that are unable to shop for themselves and besides that I have met Friend and we’ve all become quite a family here. There’s several of us that do this weekly," said volunteer Angie Marchbanks of Shop Ahoy," said Sutton.

The Shopahoy Ahoy team is hoping more seniors can take advantage of their program so they can live independently in their homes.

And while the organization is known for serving seniors across Ventura County, they're hoping to reach seniors in the Santa Barbara area.

“We get a lot of inquiries from Carpinteria people coming from Carpinteria wanting service. We don’t have anybody that way, so we certainly would work with anybody if they’re willing to get it started," said Shackleford.

"We try to get the word out. But we are always happy to help anybody who needs somebody to help shop for them," said Marchbanks.

For more information on how you can serve as a volunteer or become a client at Shop Ahoy, visit: http://shopahoy.net/default.php. 

Shop Ahoy is a non-profit, volunteer based weekly grocery shopping and delivery service for homebound seniors and disabled adults in Ventura County.

Shop Ahoy's purpose is to assist clients to remain living independently in their homes by providing their necessary weekly groceries.

Volunteers shop and deliver groceries to clients from local Vons stores throughout the county.

The organization currently serves the communities of Camarillo, Mission Oaks, Newbury Park, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Saticoy, Simi Valley, Somis, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, and Westlake.