The North Texas Food Bank is partnering with DoorDash to distribute meals to seniors experiencing hunger who face barriers to accessing food, such as immobility, lack of transportation or remote location.
As part of its Project DASH initiative, DoorDash drivers deliver boxes from food banks to homes, providing food banks with additional resources to assist seniors and other vulnerable communities.
NTFB has been recruiting member agencies of its Feeding Network to participate in the program since May 2021 and has recently expanded its collaboration to serve seniors facing hunger.
The North Texas Food Bank partners with the Texas Department of Agriculture to facilitate a senior food box program called Commodity Supplemental Food Program. Eligible participants who are at least 60 years old can receive a pre-packaged box of non-perishables once a month at one of multiple distribution sites across NTFB’s 13-county service area. When available, NTFB also adds fresh produce to the CSFP distribution.
However, the pandemic presented additional risks for seniors that impacted their participation in the program, such as increased health concerns and transportation. The partnership with DoorDash offers a delivery option for seniors in the CSFP program who could not otherwise access a CSFP distribution location.
Seniors in the program can schedule a delivery from NTFB’s website.
The North Texas Food Bank presently has seven member agencies of its Feeding Network serving as hubs for DoorDash drivers to pick up food before making deliveries. Seniors must live within a 10-mile radius of one of these hub locations to be eligible for a delivery. Zip codes currently served include: 75234, 75110, 75212, 75428, 75482, 75134 and 75048.
NTFB has delivered more than 889 meals to seniors since launching the program in early December. The food bank is working to enroll more seniors and identify additional hub locations to expand the service.
“As our senior population continues to grow, so does the number of older Americans who struggle with food insecurity,” said Madison Messinger, programs manager for NTFB. “With the additional risks from COVID-19, reaching North Texas seniors and ensuring they get the nourishment they need is more important than ever. We are excited about this new partnership with DoorDash that will remove barriers to access for seniors experiencing hunger and allow them to receive CSFP food directly to their homes. We are grateful for DoorDash’s commitment to hunger relief and strengthening communities.”
To learn more about the delivery program, visit ntfb.org/schedule-a-csfp-pan-delivery.
