Mount Vernon And DoorDash Will Help Tackle Hunger With Gift Cards

MOUNT VERNON, NY — For many of us, the holidays are a time for family feasts, for others of us, putting enough food on the table remains a challenge no matter what the time of year. Local leaders and a familiar household name are teaming up to "disrupt" food insecurity in much the same way technology has changed the way restaurants connect with customers.

On Monday, at the Doles Center, Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard, DoorDash and leaders from the United Way of Westchester and Putnam announced a new partnership through DoorDash’s Community Credits program to address food insecurity.

DoorDash is collaborating with Mayor Patterson-Howard and the city of Mount Vernon to help reduce food insecurity tied to the company’s commitment in support of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health by providing $35,000 in gift cards to local organizations that are working to broaden food access.

Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said the creative new initiative is just one way the city is tackling the problem.

"While we’ve worked to fight food insecurity in Mt. Vernon in a variety of ways, one of the innovations I’m most proud of is our partnership with DoorDash," Patterson-Howard said. "We need more public-private partnerships that help local, state, and federal governments extend their reach by leveraging what businesses do best. I’m looking forward to the positive results this partnership will have in Mount Vernon and know that, together, we can grow solutions like these to have a national impact."

SEE ALSO: DoorDash Partnering With Mount Vernon Mayor to Broaden Food Access

DoorDash's Eli Scheinholtz said the goal of the company's efforts is to support those who are already doing the hard work of fighting food insecurity.

"We’re proud to be working with Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard and the City of Mount Vernon to provide DoorDash gift cards and help support the incredible work of the United Way to expand food access," Scheinholtz said. "We’re honored that local governments are leveraging DoorDash to access the best of their communities while broadening food access for people who need a little bit of extra help in their day-to-day life. By providing these resources, we can enable this tremendous organization to do more of what really matters: supporting the Westchester community."

In many way, the community can use all the help it can get.

United Way of Westchester and Putnam CEO Tom Gabriel detailed an alarming trend hitting the most vulnerable among us especially hard.

"With calls to our 211 Helpline related to food insecurity increasing by more than 20 percent over last year, we know families and seniors are struggling with food insecurity," Gabriel said. "We appreciate DoorDash and the City of Mount Vernon working with United Way to alleviate the issue for some folks as we kick off the holiday season."