Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, today announced Community Carts, a new feature that reimagines traditional food drives, making it easy for consumers to donate groceries that food banks need most with the Instacart App. Just in time for Giving Tuesday and the holiday season, Community Carts gives consumers the opportunity to participate in crowdsourced cart building for good by donating groceries to more than 100 local Feeding America member food banks across the United States, with delivery and service fees waived on every donation order. Starting today through December 4, Instacart will match every dollar spent on Community Cart orders with a donation – up to $100,000 – to Feeding America.
To start giving, customers can simply open the Instacart App or go to www.instacart.com and tap the Community Carts banners. From there, they can select any participating food bank to support and shop as many items as they’d like from the food bank’s personalized wish list, based on which groceries are needed most for the local community. Instacart shoppers will then deliver the items directly to the food bank according to their local donation guidelines. Whether people donate just a few cans of food or a whole cart, donations will add up quickly as customers come together nationwide between Giving Tuesday and December 31 to contribute to Community Carts.
“One of the most impactful ways Instacart can help fight nutrition insecurity is by using our technology and scale to empower the community for good,” said Asha Sharma, Chief Operating Officer at Instacart. “We know that many people want to give food during the holidays, but may not know what their local food bank needs or how to get it to them. With the launch of Community Carts, we’re making it possible for millions of people to make food donations this holiday season with just a few taps, taking the guesswork out of how, what and where to donate. Through Community Carts, together we can make an outsized impact in communities nationwide facing hunger.”
According to the USDA, nearly 34 million people, including more than 9 million children, in the U.S. are experiencing a lack of access to nutritious food, and in the face of rising food prices, many Feeding America member food banks are reporting increased or sustained demand for food assistance.
“Over the past four years, Instacart has helped to provide millions of meals to Feeding America member food banks, and we’re proud to continue our partnership with the launch of Community Carts,” said Lauren Biedron, Vice President of Corporate Partnerships at Feeding America. “By partnering with member food banks, Instacart is unlocking innovation and scale for community giving, with food going to people who need it most this holiday season.”
Because every food bank has different needs, each Community Cart is customized to include the food they need most and reflect their operational requirements. Some of the most in demand items from food banks nationwide include canned goods, whole grains, nut butters, cooking oils, and paper products. Once a customer has placed their food bank order, they’ll have the opportunity to share their donation via messaging or social media apps directly from Instacart — encouraging family and friends to join in and donate to a Community Cart as well.
The launch of Community Carts builds on the momentum of Instacart Health, the company’s recently-launched initiative designed to deliver the ingredients for healthier living. One of the key areas of focus for Instacart Health is to increase nutrition security among communities most in need.
