A Bright Spot During COVID Questions for Sama Maadi Creator of G4G: Groceries for Gallup Q: COVID-19 has really changed our lives, how has it affected you and your family?
COVID19 has affected my family financially, socially, and academically. When schools in Gallup closed, I was fortunate enough to be in a high school that went online. It took me some time to adjust to such an abrupt change in my classes. Many of my teachers held zoom conferences instead of classes. However, I had trouble efficiently learning online because it was something very new to me. I had to find other sources that could help me do my homework and make sure I continued to keep up with my grades. My dad’s jewelry store had to close and my family had to come together to figure out how to replace public school for my six-year-old sister so she wouldn’t miss out on her education.
Q: How did you come up with this idea of delivering groceries and prescriptions?
As things worsened, I knew it was important to help our small community, I just didn’t know how. The idea came about when helping my dad unload groceries from the car every week. While we were fortunate enough to be able to get groceries, I thought of the families that were more at-risk. Single parents who had to bring their children with them, the elderly, etc. Later that night, I sat at the kitchen table with my brother and bounced some ideas of how we can help our community. With much of the news being about how medically under-resourced our country is, I was frustrated that I didn’t have any skills to help there. But instead of thinking about what I could’t do, I started to think about what I could do and that’s when the thought of creating G4G, Groceries 4 Gallup came about. I may not be able to solve a ventilator problem, but I can help prevent transmission by delivering groceries and prescriptions to anyone in need, especially the elderly.
Q: I am understanding that this is a free service for at-risk members of the community? I am assuming that you are going to be really, really busy. Will you have help and who?
This service is for everyone, especially the at-risk members of the Gallup community. Aside from me, G4G is also taking volunteers to help deliver groceries and prescriptions. So far, we’ve received a few calls from people who are excited to help, which is great. Hopefully, we’ll be able to increase the volunteer base as the demand of people that will use G4G increases in the next few weeks.
Q: Is this your senior year? What are your plans after your graduate?
This upcoming fall semester will be my senior year at Middle College High 48 August 2020
School. I plan on going to college after graduating, assuming applications go well! I’m not sure what I want to do at college yet, but I know it will be something that will help me become more of an impactful person. The world is filled with endless possibilities and though that can be scary, I am excited to see what the next step is. My brother once told me that just one step a day is enough to change the world. I want to change the world and my first step is here in our community.
Q: This is going to take a considerable amount of time. With school getting ready to start again, how do you plan on managing both? I plan on being able to deliver the most on weekends to not interfere with my classes on the weekdays, but since classes have moved to 100% online again in the fall, I will be able to deliver whenever I am free. I also plan on coordinating with the other volunteers to help make deliveries when school gets demanding.
Q: It takes a special type of person to sacrifice their time to give to others, volunteer. Have you done this before and where do you get this volunteering spirit from?
My first -time volunteering was as an English tutor at the Center for Academic Learning, at UNM-Gallup during my junior year of high school. I didn’t think I was qualified to help others with their papers since I was a student myself, but that’s when I learned that you don’t need credentials to have at least some positive impact on someone seeking help. I have to admit that having my older brother around during lockdown has had an impact on me. He challenges me to think differently and outside myself. Having a mentor like that has boosted my volunteering spirit and makes me eager to pay it forward to others one day.
