Ride-sharing company Lyft is rolling out its Grocery Access Program in Brownsville, an initiative that offers discounted rides to low-income residents to improve their access to healthy food options, reports 6sqft.com.
Lyft is partnering with GrowNYC and BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers to serve local residents who don't live near full-service grocery stores and farmers' markets.
"In designing this program, we sought out partners with deep connections in the community," said Steve Taylor, Mid-Atlantic regional manager at Lyft. "GrowNYC and our community partner, BMS Family Health and Wellness Centers, were natural fits for this program and have an understanding of the various issues that people with less access to full-service grocery stores regularly encounter."
In its first phase through October 2019, the Grocery Access Program will work with approximately 200 Brownsville families selected by BMS. Eligible families will receive discounted rides of $2.50 to and from multiple markets in the Brownsville area.
Residents can begin or end their trip at partner locations which include GrowNYC Pitkin Youthmarket, GrowNYC Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, East New York Farms, Isabahlia Ladies of Elegance Farmers Market on Rockaway Avenue or Project EATS in Brownsville.
The Grocery Access Program is part of Lyft's City Works initiave which partners with drivers, riders, local activists and city leaders to create a positive impact in cities across the U.S. The Brownsville expansion is the program's first inroad into New York City. It first launched in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta where hundreds of families were provided with thousands of discounted rides, according to Lyft.
