Last week, DoorDash, the nation’s largest food delivery platform, threw its support behind a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate that would establish a program connecting low-income seniors with federal food assistance programs through delivery services.
The Delivering for Rural Seniors Act, introduced by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Arizona) Jan. 28, would establish a three-year pilot program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand home delivery options.
The proposed bill would expand the Commodity Supplemental Food Program, which provides monthly food boxes to eligible low-income seniors nationwide, according to a Jan. 28 release from Husted. However, many seniors in rural areas, as well as those with disabilities or without reliable transportation, are often unable to retrieve food boxes from participating distribution centers.
DoorDash released a show of support for the proposed bill Jan. 28, stating that expanding pilot programs under CSFP would meet seniors where they are and close the food accessibility gap for older residents across the nation.
“At its core, this bill is about keeping people fed,” Max Rettig, DoorDash’s vice president of global public policy, said in a press release. “No senior should go hungry because they live too far from a grocery store or can no longer drive. The Delivering for Rural Seniors Act recognizes the reality facing millions of older Americans, and we applaud Senators Kelly and Husted for taking a meaningful step toward making sure food can reach them when they need it most.”
DoorDash reported witnessing delivery’s ability to be a “lifeline” for seniors and people with disabilities through Project DASH, an initiative that the company states “powers delivery on behalf of food banks and pantries, community action agencies and other social impact organizations. Project DASH recorded more than eight million deliveries (totaling an estimated 135 million meals) since 2018, according to program information on DoorDash’s website.
If it ultimately becomes law, the proposed bill would create a pilot program to fund grants for the delivery of nutritious foods to eligible underserved populations, according to Husted’s press release.
“Too many seniors, especially in rural communities in Arizona and across the country, are eligible for nutrition assistance but can’t reliably get to a pickup site,” Kelly said in a press release. “This bill will help close that gap. By supporting local partners who are willing and able to deliver food directly to seniors’ doors, we can help older Americans stay healthy and independent in their own homes, especially as costs continue to rise. Geography shouldn’t be the difference between getting help and going without.”
According to language in the proposed bill, grants awarded to eligible state agencies may not exceed $4 million.
