Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — This was supposed to be a year of growth for small business owner Reed Worthington. His business, Royal Slopes Window Cleaning, brought on more people than ever in the hopes of expanding their clientele.
Instead, the coronavirus struck, forcing a lot of small businesses to temporarily shut down.
Because he had established safety protocols early on — like mobile hand-washing stations in vehicles, limiting people working in teams, and abiding by social distancing rules — his company has been able to keep some business, but not enough to keep all his workers busy.
Worthington did not lay off any of his workers. Instead, with so many extra hands on deck, he and his team began to brainstorm what they could do to stay busy and help the community.
After their discussion, Worthington went home and studied the Bible. He came across John 5, the story of Jesus meeting a man at the Pool of Bethesda. The man had been sick for 38 years. He had no one to help him into the water so he could be healed. Christ had compassion on him and healed him.
"I just saw the people in my mind — the people in this pandemic who have no one to turn to," Worthing said. "A lot of people are fortunate enough to have family and friends and people to turn to, but I’m sure there’s people in Utah who don’t."
Then it struck him that his team’s ideas could be combined. His family had been disinfecting their own groceries, and he happened to have just bought enough Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-approved chemicals to make over 150 gallons of disinfectant.
"I thought, why not us?’ We have the means to do it," Worthington said.
He and his team are offering free bi-monthly grocery delivery and disinfection to vulnerable, isolated people including people with health conditions that make them at-risk, seniors or people facing major challenges that make it difficult or dangerous to shop.
The people in question would place a curbside pickup at local grocery stores in Utah and Salt Lake Counties. The team picks it up, delivers it, disinfects the exterior packaging, leaves it outside or in a garage on an open surface to dry while maintaining social distance.
Royal Slopes Window Cleaning employees are also willing to do just the disinfecting if someone has placed a grocery delivery order.
People in need of this service can call 801-429-9683.
"We really want to provide this free service to as many people as we can," Worthington said. "If people don’t take advantage of that, we’re just sitting on our hands. When your life is at stake, it’s super critical to get the help that you need."
