This Veterans Day and throughout the year, we’re grateful to Veterans for their service. We’re proud that so many Veterans choose to dash to earn supplemental income, save, and grow their financial futures. DoorDash is also proud to support Veteran-serving organizations like the Elizabeth Dole Foundation in the U.S. – so Veterans and their families and caregivers – can have access to needed essential items and meals via our Community Credits program.
How Veterans who Dash Use the DoorDash Platform
Veterans come from all walks of life and cite the flexibility of dashing as key to their decision to leverage the platform. Our most recent U.S. national Dasher survey indicates that:
Overall, 5% of Dashers are Veterans and, of those Dashers, 75% feel less stressed and anxious about their financial need because they can dash whenever they need;
Dashers who are Veterans are more likely to have a full time job (52%) than Dashers who are not Veterans (43%);
Dashers who are Veterans are more likely to be retired (13%) than Dashers who are not Veterans (3%);
Dashers who are Veterans value dashing as a way to make up for lost income or reduced hours at work (59%) and as an option to provide them the flexibility to leave a job they don’t like (44%); and
Dashing gives them more flexibility than other earnings opportunities they’ve had (91%) and they feel more in control of their circumstances (82%).
Celebrating One Year of Pathways to Success
Select Dashers are participating in our Pathways to Success pilot program. This initiative helps support homeless and formerly homeless veterans receiving VA homeless program services to achieve financial empowerment and self-sufficiency through financial literacy education and flexible earnings opportunities.
Launched last year, the pilot program has served Los Angeles and San Francisco in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. DoorDash provided fully subsidized e-bikes for Veterans, financial tools and financial literacy resources, instant access earnings via DasherDirect, and provisional access to the Top Dasher program to maximize earnings opportunities for participants. Zoomo services the e-bikes and provides bike-related safety training.
Last year on Veterans Day we launched the inaugural cohort in Los Angeles. During the six month pilot program the cohort of 12 Dashers earned more than $6,000 combined. One program participant used that income to help grow her side business of hosting comedy shows and another Veteran used the income to help support him while going back to school.
Since the program’s launch in San Francisco, over 900 deliveries have been powered by program participants across the Bay Area with about $8,000 earned to date. With the flexibility to dash around their schedules, about half of participating Dashers choose to deliver less than 10 hours a week, and others more than 10 hours a week.
Veterans@ DoorDash ERG
Veterans@ DoorDash is our Employee Resource Group connecting veterans, military spouses, active duty reserve/guard, and allies within the DoorDash employee military community. The Veterans@ ERG plays a vital role in supporting a sense of community through initiatives such as its newly launched monthly virtual meet-and-greet and its Military Leave Policy, providing up to 12 weeks of supplemental pay to top-up military pay received during a military leave for eligible U.S. regular, full-time and part-time employees. The Veterans@ DoorDash ERG is creating a real impact by fostering community, making tangible changes, and its members are proud to see that DoorDash actively supports and recognizes the contributions of veterans and military personnel.
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If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, we strongly encourage you to contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at (877) 4AID-VET (877-424-3838) for assistance. It is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors who can talk with you right now and connect you with your nearest VA for assistance.
