Saskatoon bookstore, community members offering good deeds during COVID-19 pandemic

Saskatoon businesses step up From CTV Saskatoon’s Nicole Di Donato: These businesses are finding ways to volunteer their time and services to those in need.

SASKATOON — A Saskatoon bookstore is hand-delivering books to customers’ doors for free to help people practice social distancing.

“People are going to be at home, they're going to want to pass the time. Lots of people like to read and there's some escapism with that and so we just decided that in Saskatoon, we can bring books to people rather than them coming to us,” said Peter Garden, owner of Turning the Tide Bookstore.

He said it will also help keep his business open during these times, adding it’s important for local businesses to support the community and vice versa.

"It keeps employees employed and it keeps the lights on here so that there's going to be a local economy when we come out the other side of this thing,” Garden said.

This comes as several businesses in Saskatoon have had to shut their doors due to concerns over the spread of COVID-19 in large social gatherings.

Garden isn’t the only person offering up good deeds during this pandemic.

Jennifer Kripki is offering to buy groceries for people in need and run other errands.

"It's kind of coming together as a community, trying to stay positive when things are so uncertain and we are kind of just living it feels like hour by hour,” she said.

Kripki is part of a Saskatoon Facebook group that follows a new global trend called caremongering.

It was created by Shabir Mia, a local physician, who said the idea is for people to help each other and spread positivity.

In a post to the Facebook group he said he “cares deeply about my city and country, and want to do whatever little I can to help anyone in this amazing city who requires assistance in this troubling time we find ourselves in.”

Mia said people are offering a broad range of services and help, from tips on where to find toilet paper to suggestions on how parents can teach their kids from home.

The group was created Monday and already has over 1,000 members.

Mia said he hopes that number will grow over the coming days.