Across many communities, accessing fresh food is a significant challenge: 2.3 million households — that's 5.9 million people — live over a mile from a grocery store and don't have a way to get there. 

For seniors, individuals with disabilities, or anyone without access to reliable transportation, food in grocery stores, even when nearby, can feel like a world apart.

To bridge this crucial "last mile" and bring nourishing food directly to those who need it, Ford Philanthropy and DoorDash teamed up to bring Project DASH to families in Southeast Michigan and other Ford hometowns.

Started in 2023, this home delivery program enables local delivery drivers with DoorDash — called “Dashers” — to pick up food boxes from food banks and deliver them directly to those who need them most.

This mission comes to life through people like Denis, a Dasher in Michigan. For Denis, every delivery is a vital service to ensure people have access to food.

“It really makes me emotional to think about someone going hungry,” Denis said. “Because it could happen to anyone.”

He vividly recalls one delivery where the DoorDash app had a note: "I’m handicapped, please don’t leave my stuff at the door."

When Denis arrived, he found a man with an artificial leg struggling to reach his door. Denis brought the food inside.

"He said to me, ‘I just want you to know that I really appreciate what you just did, because if you left the food outside, I wouldn’t have been able to eat what I wanted to eat tonight.’"

Bridging the Gap Through Partnership

Denis’s story underscores a simple truth: reliable transportation is fundamental to food security. That's exactly why Ford Philanthropy teamed up with DoorDash to expand the work of Project DASH in Ford’s plant communities nationwide. We help interested food banks use DoorDash's nationwide delivery network, so they can help get fresh food and essential supplies right to people's homes. This partnership is a key part of Ford Philanthropy’s broader $4 million investments in mobile food programs to support fresh food access.

Our partnership with Gleaners Community Food Bank, a Feeding America network food bank in Southeastern Michigan, demonstrates the profound impact. Through our partnership, DoorDash and Ford have helped power more than 10,000 deliveries, estimating more than 400,000 meals across the region. These numbers aren't just statistics; they represent stable meals and peace of mind.

In the past few years, DoorDash’s Project DASH has delivered over 135 million meals across the United States.

Now, Ford Philanthropy’s collaboration with Project DASH is expanding to places like Will County, near Chicago, where Northern Illinois Food Bank is delivering thousands of online grocery orders. It’s about ensuring no one has to choose between a ride and a meal.

Our commitment goes even further, with the Ford employee volunteers hosting packing events at food banks, preparing the very boxes Dashers like Denis will deliver, and even making some deliveries themselves.

The Power of Human Connection

Project DASH is special not just for its smart delivery system, but for the human connection it creates. DoorDash provides a powerful delivery network, Ford Philanthropy makes these vital deliveries possible, and our community partners make the magic happen to bring it all together.

We are proud of this work for how it promotes dignity, provides nourishment, and helps build stronger and more resilient communities.

As Denis said, "I do this because it’s the right thing to do — and hope that it inspires others ... You can never give too much."

It’s a powerful reminder that a simple food delivery can profoundly change a life, one meal at a time.

If you’re a Ford employee who wants to make food deliveries with Gleaners Community Food Bank in Southeastern Michigan, please visit the Ford Volunteer Corps Hub to learn more.

Alex Buznego is the senior manager of Mobility Programs at Ford Philanthropy.