Instacart extends food insecurity initiative in South CarolinaInstacart extends food insecurity initiative in South Carolina

It’s been over a year since Instacart partnered with the City of Columbia, South Carolina, to help bring fresh groceries to more than 100 households under its Grocery Access Pilot (GAP) program, and the last-mile delivery service announced it is re-upping for another year. 

The program is available to select Columbia residents living more than a mile from a full-service grocery store. 

The biggest news for grocery

The San Francisco-based tech and grocery delivery company provides free memberships to Instacart+ for a year and monthly Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipends for category-specific items like produce. 

The City of Columbia said in a press release that 65,000 residents in Richland County face food insecurity. 

What shoppers are saying

The City of Columbia conducted a survey of participants a year after the program was initiated. Here’s what they said:

In their own words

“Reflecting on the first year of our grocery access program, it’s evident our partnership with Instacart has helped support the food insecure residents in Columbia. Results from the first year show the GAP program made an impact, and we’re excited to support more Columbians with the extension of the program in 2025 for another 12 months. This initiative is making a tangible difference by increasing access to a wider range of the food and essentials for families, driving more business to our local retailers, and strengthening our community,” — Mayor Daniel Rickenmann of the City of Columbia, South Carolina