As millions of Americans brace for potential disruptions to food aid programs, some major delivery companies are offering discounts to cushion the impact during the government shutdown.
With the U.S. Department of Agriculture planning to freeze Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payments on Nov. 1, Instacart, DoorDash, and Gopuff are committing more than $25 million to support affected families and food banks nationwide.
Instacart Offers Half-Price Groceries
San Francisco-based Instacart announced Friday it would provide 50 percent discounts on grocery orders for customers who used SNAP benefits in October. The program, capped at $50 per order and limited to 100,000 redemptions, totals $5 million in relief.Any customer who placed an order using a SNAP/EBT card during October will receive an individual discount code via email in the coming days, the company said. The offer remains available even if government payments proceed as scheduled.
"As SNAP funding faces unprecedented disruption and food banks brace for longer lines, we're focused on practical, immediate solutions: helping families who use SNAP stretch their grocery dollars and helping food banks stock up to support their communities," said Dani Dudeck, Instacart's chief corporate affairs officer.
The grocery delivery service is also expanding its Community Carts program, nearly tripling support with 300 food banks nationwide. The addition allows customers to donate specific items that local food banks need most, with Instacart waiving all service and delivery fees on donation orders.
DoorDash Waives Fees, Delivers Million Meals
DoorDash announced its own relief efforts earlier this week, partnering with 25 grocery retailers to waive service and delivery fees for an estimated 300,000 orders for SNAP recipients in November.The San Francisco-based company said customers with SNAP/EBT cards linked to their accounts can shop fee-free at participating stores, including Sprouts, Dollar General, Giant Eagle, Stop & Shop, Winn-Dixie, BJ's Wholesale Club, and ShopRite.
DoorDash also committed to delivering 1 million meals from food banks at no charge through its Project DASH program, which supports more than 300 food bank partners nationwide.
"No one should go hungry in America — period," said Max Rettig, Vice President and Global Head of Public Policy at DoorDash. "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."
Gopuff Provides $50 in Free Groceries
Philadelphia-based Gopuff is offering customers with SNAP/EBT cards $50 worth of free groceries during November, split into two $25 credits with free delivery in as fast as 15 minutes.The company is investing up to $10 million in their own relief program, with customers able to use promotional codes SNAPRELIEF1 from Nov. 1 through 15 and SNAPRELIEF2 from Nov. 16 through 30.
"At Gopuff, we're committed to showing up in the ways that matter most to the people and communities we serve," the company stated in its announcement.
The three companies join a growing list of businesses responding to the potential SNAP disruption. Instacart began accepting online SNAP payments in 2020 and became the first platform to offer such payments in all 50 states.
The coordinated efforts come as food banks nationwide prepare for increased demand during what is typically their busiest season.
"The food security of millions of people who rely on SNAP is at dire risk," said Eric Mitchell, President of Alliance to End Hunger. "We know that the only viable solution is to ensure SNAP benefits are being delivered in full to those in need of food assistance as soon as possible."
All three companies have said their programs serve as temporary stopgaps while calling for quick federal action to restore full SNAP funding.