Shipt, Congressional Hunger Center launch year-long hunger research partnership

Shipt has become the new Cornerstone Sponsor of the Congressional Hunger Center’s Root Causes initiative in a year-long partnership announced during Hunger Action Month. The effort will fund research in Michigan to better measure food insecurity and help communities, policymakers and practitioners address the conditions that drive hunger.

Why it matters: - The partnership shifts focus from emergency food aid to the deeper economic, social and environmental conditions that drive hunger. - The research aims to give communities a clearer picture of food insecurity so they can build more effective solutions. - The work could help inform policy and local programs beyond Michigan if the measurement tool is replicated in other cities.

What happened: - The Congressional Hunger Center and Shipt announced a year-long partnership on Sept. 22, 2026. - Shipt is now the Cornerstone Sponsor of the Hunger Center’s Root Causes strategic initiative. - The announcement was made during Hunger Action Month, which is observed each September to raise awareness and action to end hunger in America. - The partnership will fund new research tied to the Hunger Center’s Root Causes Initiative.

The details: - The project will support Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows working on the root causes of hunger in the U.S. - The research will develop a tool to measure three dimensions of food insecurity at the same time. - Those dimensions are whether households can afford food, whether they can consistently access a balanced and nutritious diet, and whether they experience ongoing anxiety and uncertainty about getting food. - The tool will be developed in Michigan. - The project has potential for broader replication in other cities. - The goal is to help communities, practitioners and policymakers gain more actionable insights into hunger. - Food insecurity is shaped by factors including employment, affordable housing, health care and physical access to nutritious food. - Shipt’s social impact work centers on food access regardless of ZIP code. - Shipt says its approach includes investing in community-led programs, partners and solutions. - Since 2022, Shipt-supported organizations have supplied over 5.3 million meals and served nearly 1.2 million food-insecure individuals.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a broader argument that hunger cannot be solved by food availability alone. - The emphasis on lived experience suggests the research will center the perspectives of people directly affected by poverty and hunger. - A single combined measure could help close a gap in how hunger is understood, tracked and addressed. - Shipt is using social impact work to connect its delivery network with food-access challenges.

What's next: - The Hunger Center and Shipt will develop the new measurement tool in Michigan. - Researchers will use the tool to study the overlapping dimensions of food insecurity. - The partners will look for opportunities to replicate the model in other cities. - The research findings are expected to help shape future community and policy responses to hunger.

The bottom line: - Shipt is funding a research-driven effort to move the hunger conversation from short-term relief to root-cause solutions.