Instacart, the North American leader in online grocery, today announced the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge, a giving campaign to benefit Feeding America® and fight rising hunger in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The #GiveFromTheCart Challenge invites consumers to turn their grocery carts into good by donating the value of their last grocery cart to Feeding America to help support communities struggling with growing food insecurity. From today until August 14, 2020, every dollar raised will go to help fight hunger and Instacart will match each donation, up to 1 million meals* to Feeding America’s member food banks in support of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge. To kick off the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge, professional athlete, businesswoman and activist Serena Williams and her family have teamed up with Instacart to make the first donation of the campaign, donating 50,000 meals* to Feeding America.
“Our mission is to create a world where everyone has access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. We’re proud to partner with Feeding America on the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge to help increase access to food at a time when more people than ever before are grappling with food insecurity in the wake of COVID-19,” said Apoorva Mehta, Founder and CEO, Instacart. “We believe that groceries are more than just food – they’re an expression of warmth and connection. We invite people everywhere to turn their groceries into good and #GiveFromTheCart to donate the value of their last grocery cart to help a family in need.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has put an incredible strain on the Feeding America network food bank as we work to address the increased demand for food assistance in communities we serve,” said Casey Marsh, Chief Development Officer at Feeding America. “We are thankful to Instacart and their customers for helping to support our neighbors in need. Donations from the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge will help food banks provide more meals to people who need them most.”
“I’m so grateful to be partnering with Instacart and Feeding America for the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge — together we are working to fight rising food insecurity,” said Serena Williams. “I am kicking off the challenge by donating 50,000 meals, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting the communities that need our help the most right now.”
How to Join The #GiveFromTheCart Challenge
Joining the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge is simple:
Donate and Instacart will match: Consumers can visit the GiveFromTheCart website HERE to donate the value of their last grocery cart – or any amount they choose – to Feeding America. Every dollar raised will go to help fight hunger and Instacart will match each donation, up to 1 million meals* to the Feeding America network of food banks in support of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge.
Create and share a grocery heart: Next, we’re inviting consumers to help raise awareness of rising hunger by gathering groceries from their fridges and pantries, forming them into the shape of a heart, taking a photo, and sharing it across their social channels. This heart-shaped grocery photo is the social symbol of the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge and, once posted across social channels, will help encourage friends and family to turn their groceries into good to help families in need. When sharing their grocery hearts on social channels, we encourage customers to tag @Instacart, @FeedingAmerica, #GiveFromTheCart, and share the #GiveFromTheCart Challenge donation page.
Instacart has been a Feeding America Supporting Partner since 2018, and supports the organization via its Instacart Serves social impact program. Instacart Serves aims to nourish its communities by helping to remove barriers to food access and enriching the lives of communities facing hunger. Instacart supports these communities through an annual volunteer week of service, grocery donations, disaster relief, and giving campaigns.
In June 2020, Instacart donated 2 million meals* to the Feeding America member food banks that support the ten counties with the highest food insecurity rates in the nation. Communities of color are disproportionately impacted by hunger, and the ten counties with the highest food insecurity rates in the nation are at least 60% African American.
*$1 helps to provide at least ten meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks
About Instacart
Instacart is the North American leader in online groceries and one of the fastest-growing companies in e-commerce. Instacart shoppers offer same-day delivery and pickup services to bring fresh groceries and everyday essentials to busy people and families across the U.S. and Canada. Instacart has partnered with more than 350 beloved national, regional and local retailers, including Albertsons, ALDI, Costco, Kroger, Loblaw, Publix, Sam’s Club, Sprouts, Walmart Canada, and Wegmans, among others, to deliver from more than 25,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. Instacart’s delivery service is available to more than 85% of U.S. households and 70% of Canadian households. The company’s cutting-edge enterprise technology also powers the e-commerce platforms of some of the world’s biggest retail players, supporting their white-label websites, applications, and delivery solutions. Instacart offers an Instacart Express membership for unlimited free delivery on orders over $35. For more information or to start shopping, visit the Instacart website HERE. For anyone interested in becoming an Instacart shopper, click HERE for more information.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry.