For families living in food deserts, getting fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy food options is a trek.
So in January, ride-hailing app Lyft built a program for residents in Washington, D.C., to get to those inaccessible stores. On Thursday, the program was expanded to more than a dozen other cities.
Lyft cites 2.3 million Americans living in low-income and rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket -- so getting to the store is difficult, especially if relying on public transit or limited car access.
With D.C. as a pilot for the past four months, hundreds of families have already used the Lyft Grocery Access Program. To register, families there need to have a child enrolled at participating schools and be willing to take three surveys during a six-month pilot period. Families were given 50 $2.50-shared rides (meaning up to two people can ride in a carpool trip) to three grocery stories and a market at a community group. D.C.'s program will continue after the pilot.
SEE ALSO:This woman lived in her car to volunteer at 200 food banks and prove a point about hungerMike Masserman, Lyft's head of social impact, said in a phone call this week that each new city's grocery program is shaped by a local non-profit group. So while D.C.'s program gave $125 in rides over a six-month period based on school enrollment at the guidance of Martha's Table, Lyft is relying on local group's leadership and community knowledge. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey for Atlantic City, Health in the Hood in Miami, or United Way in Phoenix are some of the organizations that will determine the best way to distribute subsidized rides for healthy food shopping.
Masserman said he got feedback that with the cheaper rides for some families this was the first time they actually had access to healthy food. One mom said she was able to buy better food for her diabetic daughter. A participant in D.C. wrote that the rides have "given me peace of mind knowing that I can get to the grocery store and home safely. It has helped me ... on days I don't want to be physically burdened with grocery bags on the bus or train."
Just two weeks ago, Atlanta was added to the program, which was rolled into Lyft's recently launched City Works campaign. Now more cities, including those in Canada, can provide access to better food options. Here's the full list of new cities offering the program:
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Chicago
Columbus
Detroit
Indianapolis
Los Angeles
Miami
Toronto
Ottawa
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland
Richmond
TopicsHealthSocial Goodlyft
(责任编辑：休閑)
Dramatic photo captures nun texting friends after Italy earthquake
Move over Libra, DAI stablecoin comes to Coinbase's debit Card
End of an era: Jony Ive removed from Apple's leadership page
Giphy launches videos hub with media partners Universal, BBCA'The Flying Bum' aircraft crashes during second test flightWhat brands need to know about virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is all the rage. Premium publishers like USA Today, the New York Times, and AOL
...[详细]The world's carbon emissions went up in 2019, continuing a bad trend
Civilization's carbon emissions — like Earth's temperature, sea level, and the rate of ice she
...[详细]The world's carbon emissions went up in 2019, continuing a bad trend
Civilization's carbon emissions — like Earth's temperature, sea level, and the rate of ice she
...[详细]This playlist of the worst songs to have sex to is delightfully cursed
On Monday, a sex playlist went viral on Twitter:But it's not just any Spotify-curated sex playlist,
...[详细]Singapore gets world's first driverless taxis
SINGAPORE -- The world's first self-driving taxis started picking up passengers in Singapore on Thur
...[详细]Apple Card being investigated by regulators for gender bias
Apple’s tech-oriented credit card is at the heart of a new investigation into alleged gender d
...[详细]Head and neck injuries from cell phone use are rising, study finds
We all walk and text, but maybe we shouldn't.At least, one could reasonably come to that conclusion
...[详细]There's a backlash against Hallmark Channel for pulling LGBT ads
The Hallmark Channel, producer of all your favorite schmaltzy Christmas movies, is facing a stiff on
...[详细]U.S. pole vaulter skids to a halt for national anthem
An American pole vaulter took his patriotism to the next level at the Olympics.。Sam Kendricks, a sec
...[详细]Shelter cat gets a timeout for helping other cats escape 'several times a day'
A vigilante kitty at an adoption center has been reprimanded for letting his furry neighbors out of
...[详细]Aly Raisman catches Simone Biles napping on a plane like a champion
From Hermes to Montblanc: A guide to the fanciest smartwatches of 2019
SEE ALSO:This woman lived in her car to volunteer at 200 food banks and prove a point about hunger