mRelief Pro Bono Partnerships - 2019 Year in Review
In 2019, mRelief developed relationships with a whole new community of pro-bono partners to help us connect more families to SNAP than we have in the history of mRelief.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP: This year, Steptoe has provided legal support with the review of General Services Administration (GSA), a government entity to assist with determining execution of mRelief’s product(s) being placed on GSA schedule for government entities to purchase. Over 45 hours of dedicated time has been spent totalling $26,240 worth of services. Additionally, Steptoe provides unique insight into the political, regulatory, and legislative processes as well as intimate familiarity with all regulatory bodies and government departments affecting businesses and not-for-profit entities.
Jenner & Block: In 2019, Jenner & Block provided in-depth legal support for the review of the General Services Administration (GSA) requirements and diligence review and approval of working with third party (WinVale) to get mRelief(s) products listed on GSA schedule. This partnership will enable mRelief to sale products allowing for more users to have access to mRelief’s platform through Government collaboration(s). About $8,440 worth of services have been done aiding mrelief. The firm offers pro bono litigation and transactional assistance to organizations and thousands of individuals related to a wide range of legal areas. From criminal to civil matters, from battles for human rights and civil liberties to death penalty challenges, Jenner & Block lawyers provide legal assistance to those whose voices may not have otherwise been heard in the justice system.
Lyft: This year we partnered with Lyft to provide free transportation to CalFresh offices through a platform integration with Lyft, because we believe that mobility and transportation should not be a barrier to accessing food. As a part of this offering, clients can access Lyft whether they have a smartphone or not. We coordinated 293 free rides to clients’ local SNAP offices in 2019.
DoorDash: We’ve worked with DoorDash to provide SNAP applicants up to $35 in DoorDash credit to support the cost of their next meal while they wait for approval and activation of their SNAP benefits. We connected 423 of our clients in San Francisco and Chicago to a hot meal while they wait for their SNAP benefits to become active.
Civis Analytics: Research partner Civis Analytics assisted us in evaluating our application process in Los Angeles. Together we found that simply providing an option to schedule a call to apply and interview for CalFresh (the name for SNAP in California) would increase the rate of completed applications by 18%. We have been able to use this data to provide the best user experience for clients in Los Angeles.
Kroger: In 2019 we were thrilled to start working Kroger, the 3rd largest retailer in the US, to make it easier for their shoppers to enroll in SNAP. Together we developed and placed ads in Kroger’s Food4Less circulars in Illinois and California, encouraging them to text mRelief to complete our simple screener to determine their SNAP eligibility. As apart of this awareness effort, select stores had stanchions and signs in the aisles. This initiative helps close the digital divide among those who make less than $30,000 a year and do not have access to a smartphone.
Our work with Kroger supports their social impact initiative: Zero Hunger | Zero Waste, to address food security as part of our commitment to transform access to social services in partnership with governments, nonprofits, the private sector and, most importantly, everyday Americans on SNAP.
