Think about your most recent trip to the grocery store. Now, think about that trip without having access to a vehicle and going at least a mile away to get to the nearest grocery store. Maybe you have to walk to the store and back and can only take a few bags. Does this change what items on your shopping list you would have gone home with? Next, picture that you’re making this walk in the summer with temperatures over 100 degrees and you are trying to keep your kids next to you and out of the street.
This is a reality for many individuals and families living in poverty. Many low-income communities in the Valley are food deserts, meaning access to fresh produce and healthy foods is low with the closest location being more than a mile away.
Valley of the Sun United Way, Lyft, and Food City are responding to this issue with a Grocery Access Program partnership between now and September 1, 2019. People who need transportation to the store can use the promo code FOODACCESSPHX to receive 12 discounted roundtrip Lyft rides to and from 16 Food City locations in Phoenix, Glendale and Tempe for only $2 each way. The rest is subsidized up to $15. Anything beyond that is covered by the rider in addition to the $2.
“Since our inception in 1932, it’s been our family and our company’s desire and goal to be a part of the communities we serve and give back in a real way. Our Food City format is no exception to that rule and we are very proud of that. We have worked very hard to serve as many areas as we can.” - Trey Basha, President and CEO of Bashas’ Family of Stores
Together, United Way, Lyft, and Food City make it easier, faster, and less expensive to go to the grocery store. We are making it safer for those who need to bring their children with them to shop. To view the participating locations and get more information, click below.