DoorDash To Deliver Meals To Vulnerable Students

NEW YORK, NY – The New York City Department of Education is partnering with food delivery service DoorDash to deliver meals to medically vulnerable students across the city. The move comes as schools have closed and city residents have been asked to stay home to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

This partnership will utilize DoorDash's platform to deliver meals directly to the homes of more than 800 students who have compromised immune systems or who lack the mobility to access the 456 locations in the city that provide three meals per day.

These students have been identified by the Division of Health and Mental Health as being most medically fragile in relation to COVID-19. An additional 120 students have opted into the program, which is run by the DOE Office of Food and Nutrition Services.

“During this difficult time, I’ve been so grateful to New Yorkers who are coming together to make sure our students are safe, healthy and can continue to learn,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza in a prepared statement.

“Our partnership with DoorDash is a prime example of these efforts, bringing meals to our students who cannot leave their homes, and meeting a critical need during a crisis.”

According to the announcement, the NYC Department of Education anticipates needing between 500 and 750 meals delivered daily until at least April 20.

Through this partnership, DoorDash will assign students to schools based on their home addresses and the meal hub school kitchen locations in order to create the most efficient delivery routes. Drivers will make deliveries at up to 20 locations between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Each delivery includes lunch for that day and breakfast for the next day. This project is part of Project DASH (DoorDash Acts for Sustainability and Hunger).

For more information, visit DoorDash's COVID-19 support page.