News Tag: Support

Grubhub Joining Effort to Cut Out Cutlery

Today Grubhub is officially joining the #CutOutCutlery campaign and committing to dramatically reducing the number of single-use plastics that enter the environment. In the coming months the Grubhub app and website will begin automatically defaulting to zero utensils and napkins with every order. While diners will still be able to request plasticware when needed, the move will generate significant savings for restaurants across the country.

“As we advance sustainable business practices across Grubhub and our industry, this important step will keep millions of unneeded pieces of single-use plastic out of the environment,” Devry Boughner Vorwerk, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, said. “We look forward to building on this commitment to sustainability in partnership with the diners and restaurants who rely on Grubhub every day.”

This action by Grubhub will remove millions of pieces of plastic cutlery from entering the environment annually. According to HabitsofWaste.org, organizer of the #CutOutCutlery campaign, 40,000,000,000 pieces of plastic cutlery end up in the waste stream per year, polluting our oceans and harming sea life. Sheila Morovati, Founder and CEO of Habits of Waste and #CutOutCutlery, has been a key partner to Grubhub as we have worked to develop this important sustainability feature.

“We applaud Grubhub for taking a significant step in dramatically reducing the amount of single-use plastic that ends up as unwanted waste and litter in our communities,” Morovati said. “Our partnership with Grubhub is a stellar example of how a system can be modified to change behavior, ultimately creating a new norm that automatically reduces waste and increases sustainability.”

Beyond the environmental benefits, removing plasticware is also another way Grubhub and our diners can generate cost savings for restaurants at a time when they need it most. Research has found that restaurants can save potentially thousands of dollars annually by reducing how much plasticware they use. The move is an important step in the journey Grubhub is embarking on towards more sustainable business practices.

Grubhub Announces Driver Grant Program Recipients

Back in December, we announced our Driver Grant Program — an initiative that supports drivers who are creating meaningful change in their communities through education, civic engagement, and philanthropic work. Since applications first opened, we received submissions from delivery partners across the country who allowed us a glimpse into their lives and their passions for making a difference within their communities.

We were overwhelmed by the stories that poured in and read countless submissions that touched us — from people serving those less fortunate in their communities, to providing mentorship opportunities and resources for local youth, to drawing attention to the link between deforestation and food insecurity. Every submission had one common theme: our delivery partners have huge hearts and an unwavering drive to help others.

“It was absolutely inspiring to see the many responses and countless examples of valuable work from our drivers across the country. We’re proud that this program will be a stepping stone for drivers who are making positive change within their communities,” said Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s chief operations officer. “We’re looking forward to seeing all the great things drivers do with these grants and continuing our efforts this year to fund what fuels our drivers.”

Today, we’re excited to announce the first 20 recipients of this program and how they plan to use their $10,000 grants:

Bill R. — Huntington, WV
With this grant money, Bill plans to help upgrade Kiwanis Daycare — which serves low-income children and is the oldest continuously operating daycare in West Virginia.

BriYanna G. — Cleveland, OH
BriYanna plans to use the grant money to build and maintain a website for Ravenella — a marketplace she created for people to support Black-owned fashion lines.

Chad E. — Chicago, IL
Passionate about art, Chad will rent an art studio space to mentor youth in the Chicago area and feed their artistic passions, including graphic design and audio production. He would also like to purchase a screen printing machine and 3D printer so the artists he mentors can make their own products.

Destiny P. — Detroit, MI
Destiny plans to continue her work with local no-kill and animal rescue shelters by funding more reliable transportation for injured dogs and cats so that they can be cared for.

Joanna L. — Pittsburgh, PA
Joanna will use her grant to support Cup-A-Jo Productions — an artists’ collaborative theater she founded that explores non-traditional venues and mixes theatre with film, dance, music and poetry.

Joanne D. — California, MD
Joanne plans to use the grant to purchase additional food for a local nonprofit, S.O.L.D.I.E.R.S OUTREACH — Kids Eat Free.

Judy H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
Using her grant funds, Judy will expand her work to help the homeless population in her area, including increasing her budget to provide more supplies.

Kendal M. — Covington, GA 
Kendal will use his grant to donate and fund additional academic scholarships through The Brother Sister Campaign — a nonprofit organization he founded that’s dedicated to promoting growth and hope to underserved children.

Mary D. — Colorado Springs, CO
Mary plans to use the grant money to fund a retreat for Finding Our Voices — a nonprofit that empowers survivors of sexual assault to thrive by offering creative activities and healing events.

Mike B.  — Birmingham, AL
With the grant, Mike plans to purchase supplies and other resources for his high school students and complete his master’s degree in English.

Musasizi J. — Chicago, IL
Musasizi plans to use the grant money to facilitate campaigns that encourage and educate people to shift from using firewood and charcoal fuels to liquefied petroleum gas in developing parts of the world, where deforestation is impacting food security.

Nicholas S. — Houston, TX
Nicholas plans to expand his personal training and fitness business, including opening a larger fitness facility where he can continue to offer personalized training while also offering a general open space for people looking to train by themselves.

Peter A. — Poughkeepsie, NY
Peter plans to use his grant to support his two communities: Poughkeepsie, New York and Kuna, Kamagambo, Kenya. In Poughkeepsie, he will provide supplies, including winter coats and food, for the local homeless population. And in Kuna, he will work toward building a library and a learning center.

Pousbila O.  — St. Louis, MO
Pousbila will support the African Youth Development Foundation, in addition to helping cover the cost of school registration fees, and health and food plans for vulnerable children in Burkina Faso throughout the school year.

Romel D. — Jacksonville, FL
Romel runs The Jax Tutor —  a tutoring company focused on math, and he’ll use the funds to promote the service and reach more students.

Rosalie J.  — Jeffersonville, IN
Rosalie plans to use the grant money to grow her business that she uses to help fund warm clothing to local children in need and finish paying off her master’s degree in early childhood education.

Simple K. — Virginia Beach, VA
Simple, who runs a mentorship program called Arise Africa, will use the grant money to build a school and buy supplies for the children in his program.

Tameka W. — Evansville, IN
Tameka plans to use the grant to support the Inner City Youth Basketball League for Kids and fund a center for Mother’s Holdin’ It Down — a group she started to connect with other single mothers, share resources and provide support to local families in need.

Terrell B. — Davenport, IA 
Terrell plans to use the grant to establish a community resource for supporting personal and spiritual development.

Theresa N. — Indianapolis, IN
Theresa will use the grant funds to purchase a food truck so that she can feed men and women in her community who are less fortunate and share her ministry with them.

The good news keeps on coming…

Remember how we said we were overwhelmed by the stories from our delivery partners that poured in? There was no shortage of amazing submissions that touched us, and we’re excited to announce today that we’re giving an additional 10 recipients grants thanks to our diners who tweeted their support of our drivers with our #lovedelivered efforts in February. When diners showed their love, we supported the Driver Grant Program with $1 per tweet up to $100,000.

Meet our additional 10 recipients below and read how they plan to use the grant money to drive change in their communities!

Alyssa L. — Bel Air/Aberdeen, MD
A single mom to four kids, Alyssa has a heart for children and a passion for social work. She will use the grant money to continue her education and get a degree in social work.

Imari R. — Chesterfield, MI
Imari plans to use her grant money to launch the Random Love Project—an initiative that will support the homeless population in Michigan through the gifting of free meals and grocery stipends.

Jeffrey J. — Portland, OR
A photographer and filmmaker, Jeffrey finds purpose by connecting those in his community with nature, especially during these challenging times when mental health is so important. An avid fly fisher in his spare time, Jeffrey plans to use the grant money to create an informative video series of the best places to fish in Portland and the surrounding area in hopes other people find enjoyment in the sport as well during these times.

Jillian K. — Seattle, WA
Jillian is the founder of Ginger Gears, a robotics education company that works to combat underrepresentation in the STEAM field. With the grant money, Jillian wants to invest in workshop space for classes, camps and training for Ginger Gears students.

Jonah K. — Detroit, MI
Currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in religious studies, Jonah wants to use the grant money to conduct research about the religious minority communities in the Middle East and Eastern Europe and fund his doctorate degree in the field.

Jonathan M. — Des Moines, IA
With this grant money, Jonathan will pursue his dream of getting a Secondary Education Teaching certificate so that he can teach mentally challenged and disabled children in his community.

Kevin S. — Wilkes-Barre, PA
Kevin will use the grant money to create a permanent home for Diamond City Sports’ youth and adult flag football leagues and renovate their wiffle ball field.

Mohammad D. — Milwaukee, WI
Passionate about cooking, Mohammad will use the grant money to purchase a food truck so that he can spread his love for cooking with others in nearby communities.

Robert H. — Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
With this grant money, Robert plans to get his non-profit that helps homeless veterans off of the ground through marketing and website development so that he can spread its message and reach more people in need.

Timothy C. — Richmond, VA
A middle school counselor, Timothy will use this money to fund programs for students at his school who are interested in STEM.

Check back in the spring for more information on our next round of grants and application details. If you’re interested in driving with us you can learn more at driver.grubhub.com.

Grubhub Invites Diners to Help Celebrate and Support the Black Restaurant Community

Food is at the heart of all communities and cultures, and this month Grubhub is honoring the diverse culinary plates from the Black community. To support and celebrate our many Black-owned restaurant partners, we are working alongside two organizations who have made an incredible impact in this community, Feed the Soul Foundation and Black Restaurant Week, LLC. Feed the Soul, the non-profit arm of Black Restaurant Week, will be the beneficiary of Grubhub’s February Sound Bites concert featuring Anderson .Paak, The Soul Rebels, Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty and Tarriona “Tank” Ball. In addition, we’re unveiling a new search filter, powered by Dine.Black, to help diners discover nearby Black-owned restaurants.

During February, all proceeds from Grubhub’s Donate the Change program benefit Feed the Soul Foundation, which aims to aid marginalized entrepreneurs in the culinary industry with business development resources and support sustainable business growth. They provide business development training, consultation services to improve business operations, and business resources including programming, funding, technology, workforce training and more. Feed the Soul Foundation will use our diner donations toward the following:

  • Multiple $10K grants will go to restaurant owners for business development, such as menu consultation, operations or marketing initiatives.
  • Restaurant emergency funds to support restaurants in the event of an unexpected emergency such as flooding or a break-in. Feed the Soul Foundation will help provide  resources to help restaurants re-open and get back on their feet.
  • Scholarships to marginalized hospitality management college students, creating a pathway to help grow the next generation of restaurant entrepreneurs.

Our Donate the Change feature allows diners who opt-in to round up their change on their orders. Last year, Grubhub diners across the country donated more than $20 million dollars to various organizations and communities in need of support through the same program. Grubhub also matches Donate the Change contributions by Grubhub+ members. We invite more diners to opt-in to Donate the Change and join us this month to help make an impact in supporting the Black culinary community.

Grubhub is also partnering with Black Restaurant Week, LLC beginning with Black Restaurant Week in the Pacific Northwest on Feb. 19-28th. The partnership will promote Black-owned businesses and help local diners discover and support Black-owned restaurants in Oregon and Washington, with plans to continue with Black Restaurant Weeks in major markets across the country.

Feed the Soul Foundation will also be Grubhub’s donation partner for our popular virtual concert series Sound Bites, which will feature performances by Anderson .Paak and The Soul Rebels, with special guests Big Freedia, Trombone Shorty and Tarriona “Tank” Ball. During the live concert, fans tuning in will be encouraged to comment during the live stream, and Grubhub will donate $5 for every comment (up to $100K) to Feed the Soul Foundation. Sound Bites will take place on Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET on the Grubhub YouTube channel.

Finally, Grubhub is also excited to unveil a new search filter that will help diners easily find and order from Black-owned restaurants in their area. With the help of Dine.Black, this new filter will showcase thousands of restaurants nationwide on the Grubhub platform.

We have a responsibility to do our part in raising up our fellow foodies and that starts with discovery. We invite our diners to join our efforts by ordering from these incredible restaurants while at the same time supporting other culinary efforts. Visit the Grubhub app or Grubhub.com to find a delicious restaurant near you.

Working Toward a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace with Path Forward

Since our founding in 2004, we’ve encouraged authenticity, celebrated our differences and believed that diversity strengthens our success. More than 30 million people and hundreds of thousands of restaurant owners, from all different backgrounds, rely on Grubhub. We know that we must bring people with different backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and skills around the table to better understand and support the communities we serve.

Over the last year, we’ve looked critically at our company makeup, initiatives, processes and partnerships to identify areas for improvement. We view Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as an ongoing effort with no “end date,” but we’re proud of the progress we’ve made thus far, including removing language with bias from our job postings, diversifying hiring and interview panels, creating our Voices Council and GrubConnect groups, and — most recently — partnering with Path Forward to offer a returnship program to individuals who are looking to return to the workforce in technical roles after taking time spent as a caregiver.

“We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace, and Path Forward provides Grubhub with a valuable avenue to source from a wider and more diverse population of talented professionals who have historically faced barriers to returning to the workforce,” said Kelley Berlin, Grubhub’s chief people officer. “It can be challenging for caregivers to find equitable employment opportunities after taking time caring for their family, and returnships are one way to provide an encouraging developmental path.”

Grubhub’s Reconnect Returnship Program is a 16-week paid returnship for experienced professionals returning to the workforce after spending time caring for their families. The program is open to individuals who have at least five years of professional experience and have been out of the paid workforce for at least two years to focus on caring for a child or other dependent.

“Employers need employees who reflect the diversity of our country and the diversity of their customers,” said Tami Forman, Path Forward’s executive director. “Food delivery is often a lifesaver for those who are caring for their families, and this program provides a pathway for caregivers who very well may have relied on Grubhub’s services in the past to now restart their careers at the company. We are thrilled to partner with Grubhub to launch this program so they can attract people who bring diversity of gender, age, and lived experience to the table.”

Know someone who’s a good fit for the program? Encourage them to apply!

Grubhub gives restaurants expanded commission-free ordering solutions

As restaurants face uncertain and challenging times this winter, Grubhub is introducing a new package of marketing commission-free solutions to make it easier for restaurants to do online ordering through their own digital channels or on-premise properties. These solutions build upon the hundreds of millions of dollars we’ve devoted since March to restaurant support and demand generation, and give restaurants more ways to leverage our Grubhub technology to fulfill orders.

This new package – the Direct Order Toolkit – gives restaurants free access to three solutions to help them drive online orders without any marketing fees:

  • Direct Order Link: An ordering link for restaurants to use in their email marketing or to post on their social media accounts
  • Direct Order Button: A customizable “Order Now” button for restaurants to put on their own websites
  • Direct Order QR Code: A unique QR code for restaurants to include in printed materials like mailers or signs<

 

Above: Direct Order Toolkit available within the Grubhub for Restaurants Dashboard

Grubhub does not charge any marketing fees to restaurants on these orders – just an order processing fee, which the restaurant would face regardless for credit card processing, and a delivery fee if the restaurant wants to use our drivers for delivery. Leveraging our drivers – for these direct order solutions or on our marketplace – is always optional, and tens of thousands of our restaurant partners choose to do their own deliveries with no delivery charge by Grubhub.

“It’s never been more important than right now for Grubhub to find and develop ways for our independent restaurant partners to serve their customers and drive online orders,” said Seth Priebatsch, Grubhub’s chief revenue officer. “The Direct Order Toolkit delivers on that commitment and makes it easy for restaurant owners to offer takeout and delivery on their own channels by adding these commission-free online ordering capabilities.”

Above left: Customizations for the Direct Order Button. Above right: Download options for the Direct Order QR Code

The Direct Order Toolkit is available to restaurants directly on their Grubhub for Restaurants Dashboard. These solutions improve upon Grubhub’s previous online ordering link solutions, offered since 2013 and used for millions of marketing commission-free orders to restaurants.

This is just one step of many to enable restaurants to build loyalty and drive orders in the best way for their unique business. With deep experience through our in-house agency LevelUp, we power websites, apps, loyalty programs and ordering platforms for restaurants. And in the coming months and beyond, we’re committed to providing even more solutions to give restaurants options to drive more orders and serve their communities.

New Benefits and Protections for Grubhub Drivers in California

The Protect App-Based Drivers and Services Act (a.k.a. Proposition 22) has taken effect in California and some changes are in store for the state’s Grubhub drivers. Starting today, drivers in California will have a number of new benefits and protections, including:

  • Guaranteed minimum earnings of at least 120 percent of California’s minimum wage for active delivery time before tip (or calculated using the local minimum wage if it’s higher). In addition, drivers will receive 30 cents per active mile driven.

  • Healthcare subsidy from Grubhub after a minimum of 15 hours of active driving per week, and a higher subsidy if a driver has 25 or more hours of active driving. The subsidy amount is based on an average monthly premium cost for a healthcare plan through the Covered California marketplace.

  • Mandatory rest periods of six hours after 12 hours of active driving (within a 24 hour period).

In addition to the guaranteed minimum earnings, Grubhub drivers will continue to receive 100 percent of tips they earn. We will also soon be rolling out the ability for diners to add a tip for the driver after an order is delivered.

Drivers in California will soon receive mandatory safety training as well, which will include information about food safety plus defensive driving and collision avoidance techniques. They will also receive information about sexual harassment prevention, and learn how to recognize and report sexual assault and misconduct.

Additional provisions of Prop 22 will continue to take effect in 2021 and further expand protections for delivery drivers and the public. The upcoming protections include occupational accident insurance and additional protections to cover medical expenses and lost income. More information will be released in the coming months.

Grubhub’s Grant Program Supports Drivers’ Community Philanthropic, Business and Educational Goals

Grubhub is proud to announce its Driver Grant Program to support drivers who are creating meaningful change in their communities. Twenty recipients will receive $10,000 grants that can be used to inspire change in their communities through education, civic engagement, and philanthropic work.

Through the grant program, Grubhub is honoring drivers’ aspirations and supporting the work they do off the road. We hear that our drivers value the autonomy that comes from Grubhub since it allows them to participate in other endeavors, and this program is one way we are able to celebrate and invest in their passions. The program will continue into 2021, with a second grant application period planned to open in the spring.

“Our drivers play a valuable role to serve restaurants and diners across the country, and we’re proud that our grant program is a way to further their personal and professional development and help them drive more change in their communities,” said Eric Ferguson, Grubhub’s chief operations officer. “Knowing that the majority of our drivers deliver for Grubhub part-time to fit into their chosen goals, these grants will give drivers a stepping stone to pursue their broader aspirations, benefitting not only them, but the greater good of their community.”

To be considered for a grant, applicants create a short video or write an essay that outlines how they’ve made a positive impact in their community, how driving with Grubhub fits into their larger mission, and how they’d use the grant to pursue their goals. The application period opens starting December 1 and closes on January 4. Recipients will receive the grant in the first quarter of 2021. Eligible applicants must be active on the Grubhub for Drivers platform for at least 90 days at the time of submission, be in good standing at the time the grant is awarded, and have completed at least one delivery in the last 30 days prior to being selected.

More information on eligibility and how to apply can be found here.

Grubhub And Restaurant Strong Fund Announce New Program To Provide $2 Million In Restaurant Support This Winter

Program offers independent restaurants in Chicago, New York City, Boston and Philadelphia $10,000 Restaurant Winterization Grants

CHICAGO and BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Grubhub, a leading food-ordering and delivery marketplace, and The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund announced the Restaurant Winterization Grant program, a new initiative to provide $10,000 grants to eligible independent restaurants. With indoor dining limited in many cities to combat a resurgence of COVID-19, this financial support will help restaurants prepare for winter, including by helping restaurants address needs for additional infrastructure and equipment to extend outdoor dining, increased personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their employees, and other necessities to get them through the cold-weather months.

The program will be supported with a $2 million grant recommended from Grubhub Community Relief Fund (GCRF), a donor-advised fund created in March by Grubhub to support charitable organizations helping restaurants, drivers and those in need impacted by COVID-19. Restaurant Strong Fund will also be accepting donations for the Restaurant Winterization Grant program, helping extend the program beyond the initial launch.

“What Grubhub has done already to support thousands of restaurant owners and their employees has been instrumental in helping them make it through work interruptions during the pandemic,” said Greg Hill, Founder of The Greg Hill Foundation.” With this next phase, they will ensure that countless restaurants have a fighting chance to make it through winter. We can’t thank them enough for their initiative and drive to help.”

“This winter will be different than any one before, with the restaurants we know and love needing more support to get through the season,” said Seth Priebatsch, chief revenue officer at Grubhub. “Our partnership with the Restaurant Strong Fund – already instrumental in providing grants for restaurant employee relief earlier in the pandemic – is now responding to the needs of restaurants and providing valuable support to help them survive the challenging months ahead.”

Starting November 9 through November 21, the Restaurant Strong Fund will accept grant applications from all restaurants located in Chicago, New York City, Boston or Philadelphia with five or fewer locations. The application period will close on November 21 and grants will be fully distributed to restaurants before the end of November. Interested restaurants can learn more about the Restaurant Winterization Grant program and the full application process at https://www.restaurantstrong.org/winterize/.

Throughout the pandemic, Grubhub has raised more than $13 million through Grubhub’s Donate the Change program, where diners are able to round up their total at checkout and donate the difference to fund the Grubhub Community Relief Fund. Grubhub matches eligible donations of Grubhub+ members that are opted in to Donate the Change. A snapshot of organizations supported include:

  • Boys & Girls Club of America: Grubhub’s on-going support has helped Clubs reopen their doors across the country, providing a safe environment for parents to bring their children while they are working on the frontlines, whether as healthcare workers, restaurant workers, and delivery personnel. Reopening Club doors supports an array of needs within the community, including helping kids with academics, virtual learning opportunities and providing access to meals for families in need.
  • MEANS Database: Through MEANS Database, Grubhub’s support is used to purchase leftover food from independent restaurants in cities across the country to provide to local nonprofits, including Open Door Missionary Church, World Harvest Food Bank, Common Pantry and Providence Rescue Mission.
  • Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC): With support from the GCRF, RLC purchases meals from Black-owned restaurants that are then donated to food insecure students and their families who need it most. With our restaurant partners also facing hardships due to COVID-19 and reduced in-person dining capacity, this program also provides local restaurants an opportunity to remain active and receive revenue from the meals purchased by RLC.
  • The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund: In addition to the current Restaurant Winterization Grant program, Grubhub also supported the Restaurant Strong Fund’s grant program earlier this year, providing micro-grants to independent restaurants and their employees across the country.

About The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund
The Greg Hill Foundation responds to the immediate needs of families that have been touched by tragedy. Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has provided over $10,000,000 in grants to families and individuals in need. With more than 1 million restaurants in the U.S. employing over 15 million people nationwide the foundation created the Restaurant Strong Fund to be able to assist restaurant owners and employees who have been impacted by Covid-19.

About Grubhub
Grubhub (NYSE: GRUB) is a leading online and mobile food-ordering and delivery marketplace with the largest and most comprehensive network of restaurant partners, as well as nearly 30 million active diners. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features over 300,000 restaurants and is proud to partner with approximately 245,000 of these restaurants in over 4,000 U.S. cities. The Grubhub portfolio of brands includes Grubhub, Seamless, LevelUp, AllMenus and MenuPages.

Partnering to Fight Food Insecurity in Our Communities

We have a responsibility at Grubhub to make a real difference by supporting initiatives and organizations that are closely tied to our longstanding efforts to connect diners and restaurants. In 2019, nearly 14 million households in the U.S. were food insecure, meaning they lacked the resources to feed their family members. That number is likely much higher today given the effect of COVID-19 wiping out millions of jobs which has resulted in more than 19 million people suddenly finding themselves without work and a secure income.

We aren’t alone in our efforts, as we have the support of the generous 28 million diners who, through our Donate the Change program, can opt-in to round up their total to the nearest dollar with the difference being donated to a charitable cause or public interest organization.

  • When we first launched Donate the Change in 2018, we teamed up with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign, to help end childhood hunger and have a transformative impact on the lives of millions of kids who struggle with hunger. Since then, we’ve raised more than $16 million dollars for No Kid Hungry through diner donations and Grubhub’s match, which is enough to provide up to 160 million meals to children in need across the country.*
  • In March when COVID-19 started to impact people across the country, we knew we had to act. That’s why we established the Grubhub Community Relief Fund, a donor-advised fund, to support local and national charitable organizations that provide relief for those who have been impacted by COVID-19, including restaurants, delivery partners, and those in need. Since March, we’ve raised $12 million dollars to fund the Grubhub Community Relief Fund and donated nearly 850,000 meals and counting to organizations dedicated to feeding those in need.

From the East Coast to the West and dozens of cities in between, our Grubhub Community Relief Fund efforts have reached communities across the country through the work of these organizations:

MEANS Database and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine donate food from independent restaurants to people in need in their local neighborhoods. Through MEANS Database, Grubhub’s support is used to purchase leftover food from restaurants in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Providence, Las Vegas, Oakland, Denver and San Francisco to provide to local nonprofits, including Open Door Missionary Church, World Harvest Food Bank, Common Pantry and Providence Rescue Mission.

Our support to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is used to purchase meals from Black-owned restaurants and has allowed the organization to expand its “sponsor a meal” service to Boston. These meals are going directly to nonprofits including the New York City Housing Authority, Neighborhood Coalition Shelter, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Queens Together, Boston Public School families, Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Cambridge Family & Children’s Service and Finex House. To support its Boston expansion and honor Hunger Action Month in September, Grubhub and RLC spent a Saturday delivering locally made meals to those in need in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood. Representatives from St. Ambrose Family Shelter, Boston Public Schools, Neighborhood Charter School and State Rep. Liz Miranda were there and helped deliver the food to recipients.

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“As our team at the St. Ambrose Family Shelter adjusted to working through the pandemic, we saw an immediate and exponential increase in need for food, and we began researching ways we could help the communities find additional resources. With the help of Grubhub and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, we were able to quickly increase our ability to assist more families and individuals, and we have been distributing meals to people daily for the last six months, at times as many as 100 meals per day. We don’t see the need for food assistance decreasing anytime soon, so we are very grateful to Rescuing Leftover Cuisine and Grubhub for their commitment to helping people in need and helping me and my team remain a stable and reliable presence for our communities in these increasingly difficult times.” – Rick Freitas, Director, St. Ambrose Family Shelter

As the birthplace of Seamless, New York is near and dear to our hearts and we’ve partnered with three local organizations whose efforts are specifically focused on feeding vulnerable populations and frontline workers: World Central Kitchen, the Food Bank of New York City and Tacombi Community Kitchen.

World Central Kitchen has activated a network of restaurants and foodservice providers to safely produce individually packaged fresh meals that are delivered to the elderly, schoolchildren, and vulnerable communities across the United States. In Brooklyn, Grubhub’s support allowed World Central Kitchen to pay restaurants for these meals and handled delivery logistics. Additionally, we partnered with Word Central Kitchen for a virtual Sound Bites series in August that featured Lupe Fiasco and UMI. Fans were encouraged to leave a comment sharing their favorite delivery order in the YouTube livestream chat during the performance, and we donated $100,000 ($1 for every comment) to World Central Kitchen to help them support Black-owned restaurants and communities in need.

Providing emergency meals to New Yorkers impacted by the economic downturn and COVID pandemic, the Food Bank of New York City supports more than one million New Yorkers every year through its network of more than 1,000 soup kitchens and food pantries. Our support is used to purchase food to be distributed across the five boroughs. In September, Seamless and the Food Bank partnered to host five pop up food distribution centers at iconic locations in each borough throughout the month of September in support of Hunger Action Month: The Barclays Center, Yankee Stadium, Lincoln Center, Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden and The New York Hall of Science. More than 100,000 meals were distributed to nearly 11,500 New Yorkers in need.

“More New Yorkers are facing hunger than ever before as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. With food lines wrapping around city blocks, shining a light on rising food insecurity in NYC was especially important for Food Bank during Hunger Action Month. With so much in the balance for our NYC neighbors, we are so grateful for Seamless’ support in helping us provide meals to everyday New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet.” – Janis Robinson, Vice President of Institutional Giving and Partnerships at Food Bank For New York City

Pivoting from its original mission of supporting community education initiatives in Mexico, The Tacombi Foundation launched the Tacombi Community Kitchen (TCK) to redirect its efforts to provide healthy Mexican meals to New York families most in need in Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Our support funded a portion of the distribution of these meals to organizations, including Mercy Center, MASA, Voces Latinas, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Mixteca Organization and LSA.

We’re also providing support to the Boys and Girls Club of America to help reopen their doors across the country. Many members of our community have been able to continue working throughout the pandemic, including restaurant workers and drivers which has brought support to many of us. During this time, many daycares and schools have been closed or limited in the services they are able to provide. The Boys and Girls Clubs across the country provide a safe environment for parents to bring their children while they are working on the frontlines. We have been able to support The Boys and Girls Club of America in more than 35 cities, including: Chicago, Harlem, Philadelphia, Providence, Worcester, Detroit, Sacramento and more. A portion of our support to these clubs reopened the Chicago, Southeast Louisiana, Harlem, Philadelphia and Providence feeding and pantry programs and continues to help cover the cost of meals for the children at these local clubs. With these feeding programs, parents don’t have to worry about whether or not their child will have a meal that day.

We’re committed to giving support and resources to help combat hunger and are grateful we can partner with local restaurants and organizations that have the same dedication and mission. We look forward to continuing our good work in communities across the country.

*$1 can provide up to 10 meals. Meal equivalency varies during COVID-19 relief. Learn more at NoKidHungry.org/OneDollar.

Statement in support of indoor dining in NYC

“Grubhub strongly supports efforts to allow indoor dining in New York City. Opening doors to local restaurants opens doors to our communities. This step will have a positive and lasting economic ripple effect across the city – helping restaurant workers and families in every community. Equally as important, allowing indoor dining will give New York City nightlife a major shot in the arm. It’s the right policy at the right time.”