DoorDash’s Project DASH — which has powered more than 2.5 million deliveries of an estimated over 50 million meals to people in need — will support local food banks, food pantries, and other community organizations through delivery, technology, data, and gift cards to serve vulnerable populations experiencing food insecurity.
As part of our ongoing work to broaden food access, DoorDash is announcing a partnership with 18 mayors across the country to help reduce food insecurity tied to DoorDash’s commitment in support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. This is only the second time in history the conference has been held, and DoorDash and local leaders are joining together to advance the conference’s goal of solving hunger by 2030.
DoorDash is proud to partner with:
Mayor John Giles — Mesa, Arizona;
Mayor Regina Romero — Tucson, Arizona;
Mayor Libby Schaaf — Oakland, California;
Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson — Riverside, California;
Mayor Michael Hancock — Denver, Colorado;
Mayor Luke Bronin – Hartford, Connecticut;
Mayor Jane Castor – Tampa, Florida;
Mayor Andre Dickens – Atlanta, Georgia;
Mayor Brandon Scott – Baltimore, Maryland;
Mayor André Sayegh – Paterson, New Jersey;
Mayor Vic Carstarphen – Camden City, New Jersey;
Mayor Kathy Sheehan – Albany, New York;
Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard – Mount Vernon, New York;
Mayor Malik Evans – Rochester, New York;
Mayor Andrew Ginther – Columbus, Ohio;
Mayor Donald Grebien – Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
Mayor Levar Stoney – Richmond, Virginia; and
Mayor Victoria Woodards – Tacoma, Washington.
DoorDash will support these cities in their efforts to broaden food access by providing $1 million in Community Credits gift cards, proprietary DoorDash data on local food access needs, direct funding for in-kind delivery of charitable food, and DoorDash logistics via Project DASH to meet the unique needs of each community.
“One in nine people in metro Atlanta is living with food insecurity, which should be a call to action for all of us,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. “Partnerships like this one with DoorDash allow us to combat food insecurity in our communities and help us build a more resilient, equitable and inclusive Atlanta.”
“Improving access and reducing food insecurity is key to supporting health, well-being and equity for all our resident. Through this partnership with DoorDash, we can reduce hunger, address that insecurity for our most vulnerable residents and help ensure they and their families are able to access the resources they need to thrive,” said Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.
“Our mission to grow and empower local economies animates our longstanding work to support the communities we serve by helping tackle critical issues. The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health places a spotlight on the urgent need for collaboration across the public and private sectors to break down barriers to food access,” said Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, Vice President of Communications and Policy at DoorDash. “We’re proud that DoorDash has led on this issue for years through action and advocacy, and are excited to now partner with mayors across the United States by providing resources to help combat hunger and support for local communities. With an estimated over 50 million meals delivered, Project DASH has empowered food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations with local delivery to better serve people experiencing food insecurity. We’re inspired by the conference’s focus on solving hunger and we will continue to explore innovative solutions like our Storefront for Food Banks and advocate for policies that advance the fight against food insecurity.”
Hunger in America and Breaking Down Barriers to Food Access
While the pandemic shined a light on hunger in the United States, the need for solutions that help people experiencing food insecurity remain. In 2021, more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, faced food insecurity. One driving force of food insecurity are barriers to food access, which can include lack of transit, a disability, as well as work or child care commitments.
Local delivery can help break down these barriers and broaden food access by ensuring that food travels to families in need – not the other way around. That’s the mission of Project DASH, DoorDash’s flagship social impact program aimed at strengthening access to food in local communities across the country.
Project DASH’s Reach in Communities Across the United States
Since 2018, Project DASH has helped broaden food access in local communities. Project DASH leverages the same technology available to DoorDash’s merchant partners to empower community organizations to reach their clients and increase access to food and other important resources in their communities. As of September 2022, Project DASH had powered more than 2.5 million deliveries of an estimated over 50 million meals across the U.S. and Canada, and actively partners with more than 50 food banks in the Feeding America network.
As part of this announcement, DoorDash is also unveiling data illustrating the impact of Project DASH charitable deliveries in various communities across the U.S.:
In 2021, Project DASH powered 885,000 deliveries to people in need. This would take consumers an estimated 660,000 total hours and cost them over $800,000 in fuel if they traveled by car to pick up items themselves. This estimate could be higher if we consider the wait time at the food bank or the additional time required for those using public transport.
To date, 61% of Project DASH deliveries (approximately 30+ million meals) were made to low-income communities, including more than 4.5 million meals to communities deemed as food deserts.
To date, Project DASH powered the delivery of approximately 18.8 million estimated meals which were made to census tracts with a higher rate of households receiving SNAP/EBT than the national average (11.4%)
To date, Project DASH powered the delivery of approximately 15 million estimated meals which were made to census tracts with a higher rate of people with disabilities living there than the national average (12.7%)
White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health
We know that ending hunger is a monumental challenge that will take coordination and commitment from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Spearheaded by the Biden-Harris Administration, the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health is the first step in developing a coordinated strategy to accelerate progress and drive transformative change in the U.S. to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and close the socio-economic disparities surrounding these challenges.
DoorDash is committed to working with the Administration and other partners in the public and private sectors to address the urgent needs of people experiencing food insecurity. Leading the discussion around innovative solutions to help solve hunger, DoorDash released a whitepaper, Broadening Food Access Through Innovative Public Policy, outlining the importance of broadening food access through local delivery and other opportunities to expand and invest in anti-hunger programs.
We’re honored to be able to contribute to the important discussion around broadening food access and look forward to continuing to work with local partners across the U.S. to ensure communities have the necessary resources to combat food insecurity.
