Making healthy food accessible
Connecting communities with fresh, healthy food
Everyone deserves access to healthy food options like fresh fruits and vegetables. But many areas of the country, known as food deserts, lack full-service grocery stores and farmers markets. People living in these underserved communities often travel long distances for nutritious food, stretching their time and budgets thin.
To help combat food deserts, we’ve partnered with local nonprofits and grocery providers to create the Lyft Grocery Access Program. Now, those in need can get discounted Lyft rides to and from participating grocery stores and farmers markets.
Spotlight on Washington, DC
Between January and June 2019, we worked with local nonprofit Martha's Table to enroll more than 400 families in the Washington, DC Grocery Access Program. These families took over 5,000 Lyft rides to and from local grocery stores that connected them with healthy food options — and slashed their average shopping commute time by nearly one-half.
“We all participate in grocery shopping now … with access to the program it allows our household more flexibility, as to which of us goes to the store. We can grocery shop and get home with the groceries and the others can unload the vehicle upon arrival back home. It really helps.”
— Washington, DC Grocery Access Program Participant