Every summer, 21 million kids across the country lose access to the free school meals they depend on. And in places like the South Bronx – one of the most food-insecure neighborhoods in New York City – that loss hits hard.

Instacart is teaming up with Ghetto Gastro – the Bronx-born culinary collective and creative force co-founded by Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker – as part of Instacart's largest-ever Summer Hunger campaign, in partnership with Feeding America®. The Instacart x Ghetto Gastro collaboration centers on three things: developing accessible, nutritious recipes, showing up in communities through a live cooking event, and rallying people to donate through Community Carts.

Summer Hunger Hits the Bronx

Jon Gray grew up in the Bronx. And every summer, he watched the same thing happen.

Among New York City boroughs, the percentage of adults (39%) who experience food insecurity is highest in the Bronx, and every summer, the pressure builds up. When school lets out, the free breakfasts and lunches that so many kids depend on disappear overnight. For children in communities like Hunts Point, Mott Haven, and Melrose, that gap is immediate and real.

"It's easy to not know who's dealing with it," Gray says. "But it affects more people than you think – including people you know."

Showing Up Close to Home

On July 11, Ghetto Gastro joined City Harvest, New York's first and largest food rescue organization, at their St. Mary's Mobile Market® – a bimonthly, farmers' market-style free food distribution that provides fresh produce to 550 community members in the South Bronx – alongside Instacart for a live cooking demonstration. The recipe du jour, Fire Ants on a Log, was meant to show community members how easy it can be to make nutritious, delicious food with accessible, everyday ingredients.

Gray lives ten blocks from St. Mary’s, so for him, this one was personal. He grew up in this community, used to get free school breakfasts in the summers as a kid, and knows firsthand that seeing someone from your own neighborhood making something meaningful can shift something in you.

"This is my neighborhood,” he says. “I hope people walked away from the Mobile Market feeling nourished, but more than that, I hope they felt inspired."

All in, they distributed 400+ samples of Fire Ants on a Log to community members, while volunteers distributed 11,250 lbs of fresh produce to 550 New York City families. 

Three Recipes, One Philosophy: Nourish and Inspire

The recipes Ghetto Gastro developed for Instacart are designed for the whole family to enjoy – built around what's accessible, nutritious, and real.

🔥 Fire Ants on a Log – Jon Gray's remix of a recipe he made as a kid in after-school programs. Simple, familiar, and nutritious – with a Ghetto Gastro upgrade. Shop the recipe | Watch on Instagram.

🧀 Yam & Cheese – Pierre Serrao's go-to snack, something he makes with his daughter at home. It requires minimal ingredients and delivers maximum comfort. Shop the recipe | Watch on Instagram.

🍜 Sofrito Soba Noodles – Lester Walker’s flavors of the Bronx, reimagined. Sofrito meets soba noodles (or spaghetti – whatever's in the pantry) for something nutritious, delicious, and deeply rooted in their own stories. Shop the recipe | Watch on Instagram.

"The goal was always to create something simple and real," Gray says. 

But the deeper goal was to inspire what happens when a family cooks together. 

"We're using technology to connect people, but really what we're doing is giving them a reason to disconnect," Gray says. "To be at home, be with family, and nourish each other. The act of feeding yourself and feeding others – that's one of the most beautiful things there is."

As Ghetto Gastro puts it: we break bread to build bridges. 

Community Carts: Making It Real

Our collaboration with Ghetto Gastro is just one way we're showing up to support kids and families in need this summer. 

Community Carts reimagines the traditional food drive – through the Instacart app or at instacart.com/donate, you can find a participating food bank in your community and shop directly from a curated list of items they actually need. Instacart shoppers deliver everything straight to the food bank, and Instacart waives all service and delivery fees on every donation.

Ghetto Gastro put the message into action on social too, using each recipe video to call on their followers to give back through Community Carts.

🤝 Make an Impact This Summer

Here's how to get involved:

❤️ Donate through Community Carts – Go to instacart.com/donate and send exactly what a local food bank needs, delivered straight to them with no fees.

🛒 Share the recipes – Every Ghetto Gastro recipe is shoppable on Instacart. Make them with your family this summer.

• Fire Ants on a Log

• Yam & Cheese

• Sofrito Soba Noodles

🌱 Go deeper – Volunteer at your local food bank, soup kitchen, or community garden. Get into the spots where community gets built.

Every cart counts. Every donation counts. Every family that cooks together this summer counts. That's what showing up looks like.