United Way of the CSRA has received a $4,300 grant from the Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation to help expand access to nutritious food and provide nutrition education for neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
The funding will support United Way of the CSRA’s Project DASH program, which serves food-insecure households across the Central Savannah River Area who face transportation barriers or are homebound due to age or disability.
The Nourishing Our Neighbors grant is designed to help community feeding partners increase access to healthy food while reducing health risks associated with food insecurity, according to a press release from the United Way of the CSRA.
According to United Way of the CSRA, 48% of families in the region are experiencing financial instability. Of those families, 31% are classified as ALICE households — Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed — meaning they are working but struggle to afford basic necessities such as food, housing and childcare.
Project DASH is a partnership among United Way of the CSRA, Golden Harvest Food Bank, DoorDash and 15 local food pantries.
The program provides free, home delivery of food to households that are unable to travel to food pantries, helping eliminate transportation barriers while maintaining discretion, according to a press release from the United Way of the CSRA.
Since its launch, Project DASH has served 738 people in 286 households through 1,244 DoorDash deliveries, totaling 49,590 meals delivered over the past year.
All DoorDash drivers participating in the program are paid in full, generating income through each delivery.
United Way of the CSRA said the grant will help sustain and expand Project DASH to continue supporting transportation-challenged and homebound ALICE and impoverished families throughout the CSRA.
The Food Lion Feeds Charitable Foundation supports families facing food insecurity across its 10-state footprint, according to a press release from the United Way of the CSRA.
Established in 2001, the foundation has awarded nearly $25 million in grant funding to organizations working to nourish communities with fresh food.
The foundation is the philanthropic arm of Food Lion, based in Salisbury, North Carolina, and partners with Feeding America and local food agencies to support hunger-relief efforts across the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states where Food Lion operates.
