Instacart, Partnership for a Healthier America, Building Bridges Across the River, and Martha's Table Launch New Program to help Washington, DC Families Access More Fruits and Vegetables

Instacart Health technology connects 500 DC families in need with free grocery delivery and monthly funds to spend on fresh produce

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Instacart (Nasdaq: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America, Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), Building Bridges Across the River, and Martha's Table today announced the launch of the Good Food at Home in DC. The program will provide 500 Washington, DC families in Wards 7 and 8 with a $60 monthly Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipend to buy fresh fruits and vegetables on Instacart, as well as free grocery delivery.

Nearly one third of residents in the greater Washington, DC area were food insecure within the last year, according to a recent report. That's a figure which has gone virtually unchanged from the prior year. Residents of DC's Wards 7 and 8 face the highest rates of food insecurity due to challenges accessing nutritious food, including affordability, availability and transportation, among others. In fact, in Wards 7 and 8, there are just 3 full-service grocery stores serving 150,000 residents compared to 8 full-service grocery stores serving 84,000 residents in Ward 3.

This initiative is part of PHA's Good Food at Home program, which provides families facing access barriers to nutritious food with fresh produce, and Instacart Health, a sweeping business initiative from Instacart, that leverages the power of Instacart's platform, products and partnerships to expand access to nutritious food, inspire sustainable healthy choices, and scale food as medicine programs across the country. Instacart has made a larger commitment with PHA to bring 10 million servings of produce to nutrition insecure families across the U.S. over the next three years. Following the success of PHA's and Instacart's Good Food at Home program launch in Indianapolis, Washington, DC is the next city to pilot the produce credit model using Instacart Health Fresh Funds. The program was announced alongside a cooking demonstration and campus tour at the Building Bridges' Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC).

"For one in six Americans, healthy food is too expensive, too far away, or both," said Noreen Springstead, President & CEO of PHA. "This new phase of our Good Food at Home program will not only connect DC families with healthy food in the short-term, but we know from our work in previous cities that it will also help to build long term, healthy habits of fruit & vegetable consumption." 

The program is providing 500 families with a 4-month complimentary Instacart+ membership and $60/month of Fresh Funds for three consecutive months to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables through Instacart. With Instacart+, individuals can access free delivery and pickup on all orders over $35, 5% credit back on eligible Pickup orders, and reduced service fees on every order.

"With Instacart Health, we are harnessing our technology and scale to reimagine what the future of nutrition security and health can look like. Through our partnership with PHA, we are combining the power of online grocery and delivery, plus innovative programs like the Good Food At Home program to break down access barriers for families across the country," said Dani Dudeck, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Instacart. "We are thrilled to bring Fresh Funds to Washington, DC in partnership with PHA to offer families better access to healthy and affordable food in the nation's capital."

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Partnership for a Healthier America, Instacart, and Martha's Table in an effort to increase affordable access to nutritious food for families in Washington, DC. Food Justice is foundational to the mission of Building Bridges Across the River and informs the collaborations and partnerships we forge," said Rahsaan Bernard, president and CEO, Building Bridges Across the River.

"Through our joyful markets, cooking demonstrations, and other health and wellness programs, our community members show us that they want fresh fruits and vegetables, but soaring food prices and lack of transportation serve as tremendous barriers. Our partnership with PHA, Instacart, and Building Bridges Across the River through the Good Food At Home program makes it easier for busy, hard working families to achieve their healthy food goals with just a few clicks of a button," said Tiffany Williams, President & CEO of Martha's Table.

"The District has a longstanding history of food insecurity, and far too many Washingtonians struggle to access affordable, nutritious food options. This collaboration between Instacart, Partnership for a Healthier America, and local nonprofit leaders underscores the power of public and private partnerships in addressing this critical issue," said DC Attorney General, Brian Schwalb. "Now, hundreds of Ward 7 and 8 families will have access to healthier foods, which is a critical step towards closing this equity gap in communities east of the River."

Washington, DC is the second city to launch the Good Food at Home program. Earlier this year, PHA, Instacart, and Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett partnered to bring the program to Indianapolis and provided 600 local families with three months of Fresh Funds stipends and complimentary Instacart+ membership. Results from the program found that the produce credits helped 78% of participant's families build healthier habits.

Since May of 2020, PHA's Good Food at Home program has connected tens of thousands of families in 30+ cities with over 34 million servings of produce. Following participation in the program, 58% of participants increased vegetable consumption and 51% increased fruit consumption.

Instacart partners with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Today, Instacart is accessible to more than 95% of U.S. households, including 93% of people living in food deserts and nearly 95% of the 42 million people enrolled in SNAP. Instacart Health launched in collaboration with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health last fall with a focus on delivering the ingredients for healthier living through Instacart's products, partnerships and policy advocacy.

About Partnership for a Healthier America
Partnership for a Healthier America is the premier national nonprofit organization working to create lasting, systemic changes that transform the food landscape in pursuit of health equity. PHA develops evidence-based approaches that are implemented in partnership with the private sector, nonprofits, and government, leveraging PHA's assets and the partner's knowledge to accelerate the pace of transformation. Learn more at www.ahealthieramerica.org.

About Instacart
Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,400 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 80,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit www.instacart.com/company, and to start shopping, visit www.instacart.com.

About Building Bridges Across the River
Building Bridges Across the River provides residents East of the Anacostia River access to the best-in-class facilities, programs and partnerships in arts and culture, economic opportunity, education, recreation, health, and well-being. Our theory of change lists our core constituencies as Black and Brown communities, low-income people, and families and children who reside in Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, DC. We specifically reach Black families living at or below 50% AMI. Building Bridges leads collaboration among 14 nonprofits in permanent residence on our campus, along with a network of 7 urban farms, the Skyland Workforce Center, and the 11th Street Bridge Park.

About Martha's Table
Four decades ago, Martha's Table opened our doors to children in need of a safe place and a warm meal after school. Over the years, we have evolved to meet the changing needs and growing aspirations of our communities. Today, Martha's Table works in deep collaboration with our neighbors to deliver on our mission to support strong children, strong families, and strong communities in the District of Columbia. We do so by providing a holistic range of services focused on high-quality education, health and wellness, family supports, and community investments that help our neighbors, particularly those in Wards 7 and 8, move from instability to thriving.

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SOURCE Instacart