Lyft, Food City And United Way Partner To Launch Grocery Access Program
Transportation network Lyft has partnered with Food City and Valley of the Sun United Way to improve access to healthy foods for people who live in food deserts in metropolitan Phoenix.
The “Grocery Access Program” partnership will run now through Sept. 1.
According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, food deserts are centralized in South Phoenix, Tempe and Glendale. The Grocery Access Program is designed to serve residents in these communities. In addition, Lyft’s recent Economic Impact Report revealed that 46% of its Phoenix rides start or end in low-income communities. Many of these neighborhoods are also considered food deserts, defined as low-income areas with severely-restricted access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other vendors selling healthy, fresh foods.
The new Grocery Access Program represents a commitment among Lyft, Food City and United Way to minimize the negative impacts of food deserts by making it easier, faster, and less expensive for residents in these areas to go to the grocery store.
“In designing this program, we sought out partners with deep connections in the community,” said Drena Kusari, Regional Director at Lyft. “We wanted partners with an understanding of the various issues that people who live in food deserts regularly encounter. Food City and United Way were a natural fit for this program.”
Using the code FOODACCESSPHX, residents receive discounted Lyft rides to and from 16 Food City locations in Phoenix, Tempe, and Glendale. They pay only $2 for a ride to or from a participating Food City store, with Lyft, Food City, and United Way subsidizing the cost up to $15 per fare.
“This is an innovative solution for increasing access to healthy foods, and it’s a strong complement to the City’s aim to continually improve the lives of its residents,” said Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. “It’s an exciting day for healthy families in the city of Phoenix.”
The program enables residents to get to and from Food City for only $4 – the same cost as a daily bus pass – but a Lyft ride makes it considerably easier and faster to grocery shop. Residents are not required to travel to or from a food desert; they simply have to begin or end their trip at a participating Food City supermarket.
During the past 60 years, Food City has become a community destination, hosting regular neighborhood events designed to increase access to important needs like fresh, nutritious foods and important health services.
“Our Food City grocery stores help to answer the need for fresh, healthy foods in areas where affordable food options can be very limited,” said Edward “Trey” Basha, President & CEO, Bashas’ Family of Stores. “Through this partnership, we’re able to help subsidize the transportation costs to and from the grocery store, door-to-door, making it easier and more convenient for customers to access the quality foods they deserve.”
Lyft riders can take 12 discounted round trips between now and Sept. 1, 2019. Based upon the community’s response, the program may be extended.
“Imagine what it is like for many for so many families, who on a 110 degree day in July, have to walk to a grocery store,” said Nancy Dean, Chief Strategy and Program Officer, Valley of the Sun United Way. “This program makes sure that they don’t have to do that.”
The Grocery Access Program is part of City Works, a Lyft initiative in which the transportation network partners with its community of drivers, riders, local activists and city leaders to achieve maximum positive impact in cities across North America. The Grocery Access program was piloted in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, where Lyft teamed up with grocery stores and nonprofit organizations to serve hundreds and families and provide thousands of discounted rides. As a result of the program’s success, the transportation network announced an expansion to Phoenix and 13 other major metropolitan areas in North America.
