As food assistance benefits are set to expire this Saturday amid the ongoing government shutdown, DoorDash announced over the weekend the launch of an “emergency food response” to support those in need throughout November.
In a Sunday announcement, the food delivery company said it plans to deliver roughly 1 million free meals through its food bank partners, waive fees for 300,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients ordering groceries from participating retailers and donate food from its own online convenience store, DashMart, to local food banks.
“No one should go hungry in America – period,” Max Rettig, vice president and global head of public policy at DoorDash, said in a statement.
“Millions of families are worried right now about how they’ll put food on the table. Fighting hunger is core to our mission at DoorDash, and we’re stepping up alongside leading grocers and retailers to help bridge the gap. We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option.”
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According to the company, DoorDash will deliver food on behalf of more than 300 food bank and pantry partners nationwide — the equivalent of approximately 1 million meals — through its Project DASH program. Through the initiative, the company said it has been able to complete more than 8 million deliveries, the equivalent of about 135 million meals.
DoorDash said it is also partnering with major grocers – including Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle and Wegmans – to waive delivery and service fees for an estimated 300,000 orders placed by SNAP recipients. Customers would simply need to link a SNAP/EBT card to their profile when ordering.
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Additionally, DoorDash will contribute fresh food, shelf-stable items and household essentials from its DashMart locations to support local food banks in affected communities.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DASH | DOORDASH INC. | 263.35 | +5.20 | +2.01% |
Eric Mitchell, president of Alliance to End Hunger, said in a statement that “the food security of millions of people who rely on SNAP is at dire risk,” warning that the federal government shutdown could suspend SNAP benefits for more than 40 million Americans – citing 21 million children, 16 million working families, and 5 million seniors.
“We know that the only viable solution is to ensure SNAP benefits are being delivered in full to those in need of food assistance as soon as possible,” Mitchell said. “We are thankful for the part that companies and organizations across the country like DoorDash can do to try to fill the gap, and we will continue to work tirelessly to make sure SNAP is restored and protected quickly and fully.”
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