The recent government shutdown, which began on Saturday, has placed the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in jeopardy, directly impacting over 42 million American families. In response to this crisis, DoorDash has launched an Emergency Food Response initiative through its Project DASH, aimed at delivering one million free meals via food banks and waiving delivery and service fees for grocery orders made by SNAP recipients.
According to a news release from DoorDash, the company is committed to combating hunger, a central aspect of its mission to bolster local economies. The initiative includes several key components designed to support those affected by the SNAP disruptions.
Emergency Food Response Details
DoorDash will collaborate with more than 300 Project DASH partners across the country to deliver one million meals. This effort entails waiving merchant fees for all partner food banks, food pantries, and community organizations through November, which is estimated to equate to another one million meals provided.
Additionally, DoorDash will waive delivery and service fees for approximately 300,000 grocery orders placed by SNAP recipients during this month. Customers who have linked their SNAP/EBT cards to their DoorDash profiles can shop at various participating grocery stores, including Sprouts, Dollar General, Schnucks, Ahold Delhaize brands, Hy-Vee, Giant Eagle, and Wegmans, benefiting from these waived fees on their orders.
Furthermore, DoorDash plans to donate fresh food, shelf-stable items, and household essentials from its DashMart locations to local food banks in communities impacted by the shutdown.
Commitment to Addressing Hunger
Max Rettig, Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy at DoorDash, emphasized the urgency of addressing food insecurity. “No one should go hungry in America — period,” Rettig stated. “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.”
Rettig acknowledged that while DoorDash’s response is significant, it is ultimately a temporary measure. “We know this is a stopgap, not a solution. But doing nothing simply isn’t an option,” he added. The company is also urging Congress to unite and continue funding this essential program that prevents millions from experiencing hunger.
SNAP is the largest food aid program in the United States, and with the current government shutdown now marking the second-longest in U.S. history, DoorDash recognizes that its response alone cannot address the scale of the crisis.
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