Throughout the pandemic we saw an uptick in food insecurity, with almost 1 in 5 people in the United States accessing food banks at some point and an increased need for food assistance among vulnerable populations that shows little sign of abating. Food banks and food pantries faced new logistical hurdles, with facilities closing doors and people staying at home as the rate of food insecurity grew significantly.
Launched in 2018, DoorDash’s Project DASH powers deliveries for social impact organizations and has played a role in helping hundreds of food banks and food pantries reach their clients.
Project DASH has reached another significant milestone with an estimated 15 million meals delivered by Dashers since the start of the program, via more than 900,000 deliveries in more than 900 cities across the U.S. and Canada. In 2021 alone, Project DASH has powered nearly 500,000 deliveries as of August.
We’re also proud to announce that we’ve reached 500,000 deliveries as part of our partnership with United Way Worldwide and its local chapters, which we launched at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. As we continue to expand the reach of Project DASH, we are grateful for the collaboration of nonprofit and government agency partners and the community of Dashers who enable us to create greater food access.
“United Way provides last mile delivery of meals, food boxes and more through our partnership with DoorDash and participating local United Ways and 211s. The last mile represents the final hurdle in getting food and resources to people who need it,” said Suzanne McCormick, U.S. President, United Way Worldwide. “Project DASH has been an incredible partner in this work and has helped us achieve hundreds of thousands of deliveries representing millions of meals. Food-related calls to 211 for help have increased by 150% over the last year and United Way will continue to find innovative ways to combat food insecurity in our local communities.”
To see all the cities where Project DASH has powered deliveries, explore the map on our DoorDash Impact site. We continue to answer the call for support, and today DoorDash is proud to announce several new food bank and food pantry partnerships that have launched this year, including:
United Way of Alabama (various cities, AL)
Delivering with Dignity (Las Vegas, NV)
Central PA Food Bank (Harrisburg, PA)
Montco Share (King of Prussia, PA)
Share Food Program (Philadelphia, PA)
Sharing Life Community Outreach (Mesquite, TX)
Wichita Falls Food Bank (Wichita, TX)
United Way of Utah (various cities, UT)
The Executive Director of the Moonridge Foundation, Tiffany Twohig, said, “DoorDash has been an amazing partner for Delivering with Dignity, allowing us to get meals delivered directly to our client’s homes. Having the reliability of DoorDash has allowed our organization to focus funds on nutritious food for the most vulnerable who shouldn’t be leaving their homes due to the risks of COVID.”
The pandemic shined a light on the intense near-term need for hunger relief, with food banks currently serving 35 million people in the United States.We believe that last-mile delivery is a long-term and transformational solution that enables food banks and food pantries to continue serving vulnerable communities in a way that emphasizes convenience and dignity.
We invite organizations who are interested in expanding their existing delivery efforts or brainstorming how delivery could enhance their programs to contact the Project DASH team. As we continue to make it through the pandemic, effective partnerships and collaborations will be key to our mission of empowering our local communities. This milestone is just the beginning of the access and innovation we intend to build across our communities with Project DASH.
