Project DASH, DoorDash’s charitable initiative to transport food from pantries and banks to those in need, has partnered with the local church to deliver about 100,000 meals since 2022.
FRAMINGHAM - The Greater Framingham Community Church hosted an event on Monday, September 29, to commemorate their partnership with Project DASH.
Local and state officials were on hand for the event, which was being held to coincide with the end of September—the time that the nonprofit organization Feeding America classifies as Hunger Action Month.
The church’s work is done in partnership with the charitable initiative from the food delivery company DoorDash. Essential food from pantries, food banks, and other organizations looking to address food insecurity are provided to those in need by DoorDash drivers.
About 100,000 meals have been delivered across the Framingham area to local residents experiencing food insecurity since 2022. Reverend Dr. J Anthony Lloyd with the Greater Framingham Community Church said that the need for these services continues to increase, as many of the participants are identified through the Framingham Public School system.
“The numbers keep growing: we started off with 45 families, and we’re up to 140 households every two weeks,” Lloyd said in an interview with The Frame.
DoorDash’s New England Public Engagement Director Daniela Michanie said that Project DASH has helped with improved diet quality, a reduction in missed meal days, and increased participation in assistance programs across the country.
“We see ourselves as one part of a broader ecosystem of hunger relief, and we’re committed to scaling what works,” Michanie continued.
According to Lloyd, the reception to Project DASH from local residents has been warm, as it has provided food for people facing a litany of barriers while connecting community members together through an important cause.
“It’s a great opportunity for volunteers,” Lloyd said.
“We have children from the public schools who look at this as a service opportunity. They literally bring the children to the church on a Friday at noon, they help pack the bags. You can imagine the experience those kids have packing the bags, making sure that every bag has everything in it. That is a highlight for us.”
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