New food rescue initiative fights food insecurity and reduces food waste
Albertsons Companies (NYSE: ACI) and Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) today announced an ambitious food rescue initiative as part of the 2024 White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. The program, piloted last year in the Washington, D.C. area, utilizes Uber Direct, Uber’s white-label delivery solution, to create a reliable delivery program to donate surplus food from Albertsons Cos. stores to local non-profit organizations and food banks. Building on the initiative’s success in Washington, D.C., the food rescue program has now expanded to Boston, Chicago and Denver to reduce food waste and fight food insecurity in these local communities.
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The new initiative utilizes Uber Direct to create a reliable delivery program to donate surplus food from Albertsons Companies stores to local non-profit organizations and food banks. Photo Courtesy: Uber
“At Albertsons Cos., we are committed to making a real difference in the communities we serve and the planet we share,” said Suzanne Long, Chief Sustainability and Transformation Officer at Albertsons Cos. “We are thrilled to partner with Uber to streamline the delivery of excess food to our partner food recovery organizations, ensuring that the food donated from our stores gets to those who need it most. Together, we can reduce food waste and feed our neighbors in need.”
The food rescue program has expanded to select Star Market stores in Boston, Jewel-Osco stores in Chicago and Safeway stores in the Denver area. Albertsons Cos. stores will deliver food donations through Uber Direct’s network of delivery people, who pick up and deliver food to local non-profit organizations and food banks including Greater Boston Food Bank in Boston, St. Cletus Food Pantry in Chicago and Food Bank of the Rockies in Denver.
“After a successful pilot in the Washington, D.C. region, we’re thrilled to continue to use our technology to improve the lives of community members in Boston, Chicago and Denver,” said Julia Paige, Head of Global Social Impact at Uber. “No individual or family should ever have to experience hunger, and we’re proud to work with partners like Albertsons Cos. to help provide access to nutritious foods.”
In Washington, D.C. and the surrounding region, more than 1.2 million people* are food insecure. Since the food rescue initiative from Albertsons Cos. and Uber launched last year, more than 100 food donation deliveries have been made to D.C.-area nonprofit organizations, including The Father McKenna Center, House of Mercy and Tutoring Café.
“This program has been a tremendous blessing for our community, as we provide essential food assistance to more than 100 households every week through our food pantry,” said Emily Dold, Food Pantry Manager at The Father McKenna Center. “Our dedicated food pantry team, although small, juggles various responsibilities throughout the day, which sometimes leaves them unable to collect donations from the grocery stores promptly. We are so grateful for our partnership with Albertsons Cos. and Uber. The food donated brings joy. It brings relief. It nourishes and heals. We have been able to offer better food options to our patrons.”
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*Facts About Hunger in Washington, DC
About Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of February 24, 2024, the Company operated 2,269 retail stores with 1,725 pharmacies, 402 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, Acme, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2023, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $350 million in food and financial support, including more than $35 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.
About Uber
Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. We started in 2010 to solve a simple problem: how do you get access to a ride at the touch of a button? More than 49 billion trips later, we're building products to get people closer to where they want to be. By changing how people, food, and things move through cities, Uber is a platform that opens up the world to new possibilities.
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