Lyft Offering Cheap Rides To Help Families In Food Deserts

Photo: Kevin Grieve on Unsplash, Unsplash License

Photo: Kevin Grieve on Unsplash, Unsplash License[/caption]

The food desert problem in the U.S. originates in socio-structural issues that will require work from the ground up. For those of us who are new to the term, food deserts are defined as parts of the country that lack easy access to grocery stores containing healthful foods and vegetables. This is a complicated issue primarily affecting poor socioeconomic neighborhoods where transportation and resources are limited. Fast food restaurants litter these neighborhoods and contribute to the obesity epidemic as the only readily available, affordable, and easy options.

Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, D.C. are a perfect example of this, with only three grocery stores unrealistically expected to serve over 150,000 residents. About 81% of these residents are living in a food desert, more than the rest of D.C. combined. The majority of these people are living under the poverty line with Ward 7’s median income at $45,469 and Ward 8’s at $32,967. There’s plenty that needs to be addressed, but the rideshare company, Lyft, is taking the first step by partnering with Martha’s Table to try and bridge this gap.

Beginning January 1, Lyft will be offering grocery rides for only $2.50 to qualifying families. Families only need a child that is attending one of the seven participating elementary schools or is a part of Martha’s Table’s educational programming to be eligible for this program. Five hundred families will be selected to receive 50 rides each over the course of six months in an attempt to alleviate some of their daily stresses. The estimated cost for a family is $5 for a roundtrip a week.

Though Washington D.C. is a small reflection of the millions of people in the U.S. living in food deserts, this program has the potential to do a lot of good and hopefully inspire more action in the future.

More details can be found on Lyft’s Grocery Access Program website.

More content

Eating Out
Chili’s Claps Back At Fast Food Prices With ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ Pop-Up
Chili’s has costly fast food restaurants in its crosshairs with a new pop-up experience in New York City. The casual diner has opened the “Fast…
,
Eating Out
Wendy’s Launches New Frosty Flavors With Pop-Tarts And OREO Mixes
Good news for Wendy’s fans: The chain is expanding its dessert lineup with six new Frosty flavors, including collaborations with Pop-Tarts and OREO. The new…
,
Eating Out
Panera Adds Croissant Toast Sandwiches To Spring Menu
Panera Bread is putting some extra butter in its step this spring with the debut of Croissant Toast Sandwiches—a crispy, flaky remix on your usual…
,
Burger
We Deliver!

Enter your email address below and we'll deliver our top stories straight to your inbox