Instacart has introduced Community Carts, which allows consumers to donate groceries that food banks need most.
Community Carts gives consumers the opportunity to provide groceries to more than 100 local Feeding America member food banks, with delivery and service fees waived on every donation order. Through Dec. 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 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 deliver the items to the food bank, according to their local donation guidelines.
“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, COO 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, 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, VP 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.”
Some of the most needed 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 from Instacart.
Community Carts are available on the Instacart App for iOS and coming soon on Android. To learn more,, visit instacart.com/store/hub/community_carts.
