Las Vegas online grocers accept SNAP, deliver to food deserts

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — DoorDash and other online grocery retailers are now accepting SNAP benefits and providing delivery to food deserts in the Las Vegas valley.

Many residents in Southern Nevada live in food deserts—areas lacking easy access to grocery stores. However, with the rise of food delivery services, these companies are increasingly catering to the underserved population in their business model.

511,000 Nevadans use the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps each month. Three-quarters of those SNAP recipients live in Clark County and according to the non-profit US Hunger, more than 40% of people who use food assistance have no access to transportation.

“Food is the number one determinant of health,” Kelly Cantrelle, deputy Nevada Department of Health and Human Services administrator, said. “It’s necessary for many things. Kids don’t do well in school when they don’t have food. You can’t live, you can’t exist, you can’t think.”

Cantrelle wants food to get to as many people as possible however, she acknowledges that there are challenges to achieving that goal, one of which is transportation.

“The number one reason people are coming to DoorDash to use their SNAP benefits for groceries is lack of transportation and access to grocery stores,” Cheryl Young, head of policy research at DoorDash, said.

DoorDash and other online grocery retailers accept SNAP delivery for a nominal fee. Cantrelle noted that while the fee isn’t ideal, she recognizes it’s a business strategy that could help reach more recipients.

“Those places will sometimes deliver to places that the grocery store may not,” Cantrelle said.

Now a year into its program at DoorDash, Young said it’s been very successful for a variety of reasons.

“We’ve actually heard that people are making healthier food choices because they can actually see what’s in their cart,” Young said. “They told us, sort of overwhelmingly how much SNAP has increased food access for them, reduced the stigma of having to use those benefits in person and increased options to affordable options for them.”

To use SNAP benefits with companies like DoorDash, recipients need to enter their EBT card number into the app. The Nevada Department of Health and Human Services advises users to freeze their accounts whenever it’s not in use to ensure their information remains secure.

In December, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services will begin taking SNAP applications over the phone. Their goal is to eliminate any barriers to receiving benefits.

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