If getting to the grocery store — or the food pantry — is the hard part of a hard week, The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri has a program built for exactly that gap.
Who it’s for: Project DASH serves households within 10 miles of the Food Bank’s Market who face transportation barriers — no car, no ride, a health issue that makes the trip hard, or a bus route that doesn’t run close enough.
How it works: Instead of asking someone to find a ride to the Market at 705 Business Loop 70 W in Columbia, the Food Bank sends the groceries out with the ride: DoorDash drivers deliver food boxes straight to the door. One recipient, identified in the Food Bank’s own writeup only as Angela, called the deliveries a bright spot in her week: “It’s a great way to start the day. It’s a great way to start a Wednesday once a month, and it’s a great way to start Friday twice a month.”
When and how to start: The Food Bank’s own account of the program doesn’t spell out a sign-up form, so the practical first step is the same as for any of its services: call the Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri at 573-474-1020, or visit the Market in person — Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — and ask whether Project DASH covers your address. The Food Bank’s main office, at 2101 Vandiver Dr., is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., for general questions.
It’s a small piece of machinery — a delivery app usually used for restaurant orders, repurposed to get groceries to someone who can’t make the trip — but it’s the kind of quiet fix that can keep a missed ride from turning into a missed meal.
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