At Instacart, we’ve seen that technology can be a powerful tool for expanding access to nutritious food — especially for families who need it most. Every day, we work to make groceries more accessible through our products and technology. But some of the most exciting progress happens when we pair that technology, reach, and infrastructure with the expertise and creativity of local leaders who know their communities best.
Few partnerships demonstrate that potential better than MC Groceries.
Montgomery County, Maryland launched MC Groceries in partnership with Instacart, providing eligible families with monthly grocery benefits through Instacart Health Fresh Funds that they can use to shop from local retailers for delivery or pickup. Now entering its third year, the program has become one of the most promising examples of how public-private partnerships can use technology to expand food access — and we now have the results to prove it. In Year 2:
More than 600 enrolled families placed more than 12,000 grocery orders.
Those families redeemed more than $1.32 million in benefits — representing a 98% benefit redemption rate.
Nearly nine in ten participants are working households who earn too much to qualify for SNAP but still struggle to put food on the table.
Participants report that limited time, unreliable transportation, and child care responsibilities are common barriers to accessing groceries. Program participation allowed families that previously relied on public transportation or walking to access grocery delivery services. After enrollment, delivery use among participants increased by nearly 50% and employment among participants increased by 5%.
Fresh fruits and vegetables were the most frequently purchased food categories, along with household staples such as milk, eggs, poultry, and cooking ingredients. Enrollment increased 24% from Year 1 to Year 2, and the recertification rate remained strong, with 77% of first-year families reapplying for a second year. Year 3 is already off to a fast start, with more than 600 families enrolled.
And the impact goes beyond the numbers. Participants reported reduced stress around affording groceries, greater access to healthier and more diverse food options for their children, and more stability in how they feed their families week to week. Fresh fruits and vegetables were the two most frequently purchased food categories — a powerful reminder that when families have both the resources and the access, they can make the choices that work best for their households.
"I can order groceries from my phone, even while I am at work. It has been much more than food assistance. It has given my family stability, dignity, and hope during some of the hardest moments of our lives,” said one MC Groceries participant in the post-Year 2 program survey.
MC Groceries is also part of something bigger we’ve been building with local governments across the country.
Three years ago, Instacart and Mayor Daniel Rickenmann of Columbia, South Carolina launched the Grocery Access Pilot Program, connecting residents in low food access communities with Instacart+ memberships and Fresh Funds stipends to cover the cost of grocery delivery. Nearly 80% of participants said it significantly improved their ability to feed their households, and the city extended the program, now in its third year.
Washington, D.C.'s Department of Health and Martha's Table recently adapted the model to launch the Grocery Access Pilot in the District, starting with 1,000 families and — less than a year later — doubling to 2,000. New Hanover County, North Carolina, launched the Food and Medication Delivery Program with a $1.2 million community endowment grant, targeting residents across eight identified low food access areas with a goal of reaching 3,000 households over two years.
Each program is designed around its community's unique needs and led by local governments and nonprofit partners who know their residents best. But they share a common foundation: Instacart Health technology, including our Fresh Funds tool, purpose-built to issue targeted grocery benefits that can be tracked, measured, and refined over time. That infrastructure makes the model replicable and scalable—allowing new partnerships to get up and running quickly, generate meaningful outcome data, and build the case for continuation and expansion.
Back in Maryland, the MC Groceries success comes amid exciting momentum across the state, where leaders are pursuing bold, new approaches to make groceries more affordable and nutritious food more accessible. Governor Wes Moore has made these issues a priority for his administration, while Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the Office of Food Systems Resilience have demonstrated what ambitious local leadership can accomplish in practice. We're proud to partner with leaders across the state who share our belief that, together, we can help build a food system that works better for everyone.
MC Groceries offers communities across the country a model worth building on: public leadership and local expertise paired with technology, scale, and infrastructure that give families real choice in how they shop. The results show that combination is working — and we're committed to taking it further.
