The partnership will support the development of a new research tool aimed at understanding systemic hunger drivers, identifying solutions

At a Glance

• Shipt has partnered with the Congressional Hunger Center as the Cornerstone Sponsor of its Root Causes strategic initiative to address the underlying drivers of systemic food insecurity.

• Funding aids research to understand the root causes of hunger and supports the development of a research tool that considers the financial, nutritional, and emotional impacts of food insecurity into a single, standardized metric.

• Since 2022, Shipt has awarded $1.6 million through its Community Impact Grant program, helped supply over 5.3 million meals, and served nearly 1.2 million food-insecure individuals.

Shipt and the Congressional Hunger Center have announced a year-long partnership to address the root causes of systemic hunger and identify solutions to ensure Americans have consistent access to fresh, nutritious food. 

As the Cornerstone Sponsor of the Hunger Center’s Root Causes strategic initiative, Shipt is supporting efforts to move beyond emergency food access and tackle the underlying barriers to lasting food security.

Uncovering the Multifaceted Challenges of Hunger 

Food insecurity is shaped by a complex combination of economic, social, and environmental factors such as employment, affordable housing and health care, and physical access to nutritious food. 

Shipt’s partnership will support the Hunger Center’s work to address these root causes of hunger, including supporting Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows’ work in communities across the U.S., as well as the development of a new research tool designed to analyze the interconnected financial, nutritional, and emotional impacts of food insecurity. 

This research will capture the multifaceted challenges of hunger – like households’ ability to afford and access a balanced diet and uncertainty in obtaining food – and transform it into a single, consistent measurement. These insights can ultimately help communities, practitioners, and policymakers better understand hunger and address its systemic drivers.

“We’re proud to partner with the Congressional Hunger Center in support of their efforts to address and solve the root causes of hunger,” shared Ricardo Vargas, chief people & community officer at Shipt. “By listening to lived experiences and investing in research that captures the various factors impacting hunger, we can better understand the challenges and identify solutions. Hunger cannot be solved with short-term solutions or quick fixes alone, and this tool and partnership exemplify the work we’re passionate about: uplifting and empowering those striving to make an impact in their communities everyday.”

Driving Change In Communities 

The research tool will be developed in Michigan – building on Shipt’s strong work to support anti-hunger efforts in the state – with potential to be replicated in other regions. Mirroring the eye-opening statistics from across the nation,  one-in-six Michiganders experience difficulty accessing food, according to Feeding America. Shipt has provided support to more than two dozen organizations across the Great Lakes State working to expand access to fresh food in their communities, and over 200 across the nation.

“Since the Hunger Center opened its doors in 1993, we’ve seen so many promising programs, initiatives, and projects designed as life preservers for people experiencing hunger,” said Shannon Maynard, executive director at the Congressional Hunger Center. “These programs save lives. But we’ve also seen that if you don’t consider the contributing factors of the problem, the people they serve are left treading water. By listening to and following the leadership of people with firsthand lived experience of poverty and hunger, and by trying to understand the underlying causes of the problem, we can create the solutions that will end hunger in our lifetime.”

The partnership builds on Shipt’s broader commitment to investing in community-led solutions to ensure that nutritious food is accessible, regardless of ZIP code. 

Since 2022, Shipt has awarded $1.6 million in grant funding through its Community Impact Grant program, helping local organizations make fresh, nutritious food more accessible. Shipt has provided support and mentorship to over 40 organizations fighting food insecurity through its LadderUp small business accelerator program. 

This past year, Shipt partnered with Target on a new Garden Grants program to support new gardens, garden expansions, and garden revitalizations in metros across the country.

Learn more about Shipt’s partnership with the Congressional Hunger Center here. 

Learn more about Shipt’s social impact work here.