x
Breaking News
More () »

Where healthcare workers (and everyone else) can turn when the shelves are empty

Doctors, nurses and first responders are coming off long shifts only to find shoppers have cleared the store shelves. Here’s where they (and you) can turn

ARLINGTON, Texas — At a time when doctors, nurses and first responders are working twice as hard as they normally do, some shoppers are buying up twice as much as they need, leaving healthcare workers out of luck at the end of a long shift.

“They’ve got to have strength too, to keep taking care of people in need,” said Kristina Shen, a registered nurse in Fort Worth.

Shen told WFAA, she and her fellow nurses and other healthcare workers head to the store after long hours caring for the sick, only to find shoppers have bought up all the toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning supplies.

“It’s kind of, to me, unacceptable, that you can’t find those things that people really need just to keep going forward,” Shen said.

Some stores in Australia have opened special hours just for healthcare workers. 

Shen would like to see something like that here. In the meantime, even online shopping supplies are running low, meaning higher prices and longer delivery times or trying your luck at the brick-and-mortar store.

“It’s basically first-come, first-served, so there’s just nothing left by the time you get to the store," Shen said.

If that’s the case (whether you’re a healthcare worker or not) consider The Social House restaurant.

Its locations in Fort Worth and Arlington shifted gears from an eat-in restaurant to a social market, where customers can get curbside pickup of cooked meals, groceries including dairy products — even toilet paper and paper towels.

Customers are encouraged to call or email ahead of time to ensure the products are available and waiting when they arrive.

More on WFAA:

Before You Leave, Check This Out