New Instacart Feature Lets Customers Donate Straight To Food Banks

We've all heard the age-old Christmas adage "it's better to give than receive." Well, with Instacart's latest feature, giving just got significantly easier. The popular food-delivery app hasn't shied away from discussing and participating in food-related trends. Nor has Instacart hesitated to spur those trends. In September, the company launched Instacart Health to promote better nutrition and educate users about health-savvy habits. And as December's holiday season rapidly approaches, Instacart has expanded its initiatives from health to hunger. 

The company's latest endeavor exceeds food delivery services by addressing food insecurity through a similar format. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, roughly 10.2% of American households — specifically 13.5 million homes — faced food insecurity during 2021. This statistic was relatively unchanged from 2020. Not only do these numbers indicate households of hungry Americans, but they also reveal a staggering gap — food insecurity disproportionately affects more women than men. To combat this problem, Instacart has launched a feature in time for the holidays. With "Community Carts," sharing food is as simple as clicking a button.

According to Instacart's latest press release, the company has created a new feature called "Community Carts." Rather than go to a physical food drive, Instacart users can instead donate groceries via the "Community Carts" tab on the app. The function allows users to give groceries to about 100 food banks throughout the country and curates recommendations based on each food bank's respective needs. 

To make a donation, all you need to do is download Instacart and go to the "Community Carts" vertical. You can select the foods you'd like to donate, which include canned necessities and a variety of other options. You can also pick your food bank of choice. Treating a donation as it would any standard food order, Instacart will then bring your selected foods to your chosen food bank.

"With the launch of Community Carts, we're making it possible for millions of people to make food donations this holiday season with just a few taps, taking the guesswork out of how, what and where to donate," Instacart's Chief Operating Officer, Asha Sharma said in the press release. "Through Community Carts, together we can make an outsized impact in communities nationwide facing hunger."