Instacart and Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), a nonprofit working to improve the food landscape in pursuit of health equity, have connected families with more than five million servings of fruits and vegetables, marking a major milestone in their national effort to connect under-resourced communities with 10 million servings of produce by 2025.
Instacart’s and PHA’s joint commitment was made as part of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in 2022.
The organizations also announced program impact results from the most recent Good Food at Home cities, as well as an expansion that provides Instacart Health Fresh Funds through Good Food at Home to more than 1,000 families in three new cities: Chicago, New Orleans and Wichita, Kansas.
In late 2023, Instacart and PHA launched Good Food at Home in Denver; Englewood, New Jersey; Milwaukee; and Washington, D.C. The program provided more than 1,100 families with $60 in monthly Fresh Funds produce credits for three months, as well as an Instacart+ membership with free delivery, allowing participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables online.
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Results from the four cities highlighted the program’s success and positive impact on community health, and indicated that Fresh Funds provided through Good Food at Home empowered under-resourced communities, increased fruit and vegetable consumption and helped families build sustained healthy habits:
- Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents reported that they ate fruits and vegetables more often;
- Eighty-five percent said Fresh Funds allowed them to buy more fruits and vegetables than they can usually afford;
- Eighty-seven percent said Fresh Funds helped them build a healthy habit of eating more fruits and vegetables; and
- Eighty-six percent said Fresh Funds empowered them to provide good food for their families, giving them the dignity to choose the items that best fit their unique preferences.
Participants in the program also reported high satisfaction with their experience using Instacart and many plan to continue shopping through Instacart:
- Eighty-eight percent liked the convenience of online shopping;
- Eighty-seven percent liked the overall shopping experience provided on Instacart;
- Eighty percent reported that online grocery shopping through Instacart saved them time;
- Online ordering using SNAP benefits significantly increased (from 73 percent to 83 percent) from before to after the program;
- And more than half said they’re likely to continue shopping on Instacart because of the benefits the platform provides.
As a result of positive feedback from participants, Instacart and PHA recently expanded the program to three additional cities across the country, serving more than 550 families in Chicago; 250 families in New Orleans; and 250 families in Wichita, Kansas. In each city, Instacart and PHA will offer families $60/month of Fresh Funds for three months to purchase fresh produce from local grocers available on the Instacart marketplace. The program will also expand to additional cities this fall.
“Instacart is breaking down barriers to food access by empowering 98 percent of households to get fresh and nutritious food delivered from the local grocers they know and love,” said Dani Dudeck, chief corporate affairs officer at Instacart.
“Through our partnership with PHA on the Good Food at Home program, we’ve seen the clear and lasting impact of Instacart Health Fresh Funds on improving food security and encouraging healthy eating habits. By expanding to more cities this year, we’re not just transforming access; we’re empowering families to make more informed, healthier choices that will benefit them well into the future.”
