Meals on Wheels America, a company supporting community-based programs dedicated to addressing senior hunger and isolation, announces a multi-faceted national partnership with DoorDash, the local commerce platform, designed to support the delivery efforts of the Meals on Wheels network.
Volunteer drivers make up the bulk of the workforce for the more than 5,000 local Meals on Wheels programs operating across the country. However, with volunteering at its lowest level in three decades and most programs reporting significant challenges with recruiting and retaining volunteers, DoorDash's Project DASH has been a powerful solution to help break down barriers to food access and ensure local programs have a cost-effective, convenient delivery alternative when typical delivery methods aren't possible.
Through Project DASH, DoorDash powers deliveries on behalf of non-profits at a discounted rate, enabling the Meals on Wheels network to address gaps in volunteer coverage. Together, DoorDash and Meals on Wheels America have already powered free Project DASH pilots for more than 30 local programs to make 250-500 deliveries this year.
In addition to stepping in when volunteers cannot make deliveries, Project DASH can be a solution to reduce Meals on Wheels waiting lists by expanding to new delivery routes without the need for permanent driver capacity. It can also reduce fleet maintenance expenses including insurance, gas, repairs, and more.
DoorDash has recently expanded its support by including Meals on Wheels America in its latest consumer-facing campaign celebrating more than 100 million meals delivered by Project DASH.
