
11 Mar Postmates supports LA River, sponsors FoLAR’s 30th Annual CleanUp in April
Postmates supports LA River, sponsors FoLAR’s 30th Annual CleanUp in April
LOS ANGELES (March 11, 2019) — While it may be seen as a mere trickle, the Los Angeles River is a mighty life-giving force central to our City’s past, present and future. That’s why today we are proud to announce the unlikely alliance between on-demand delivery marketplace, Postmates, and FoLAR, ahead of our 30th Annual Great LA River CleanUp. Just months after the tech platform unveiled a tongue-in-check ad campaign that pointed to the River as a punchline, River Stewards spent time with the company’s public affairs team to educate them on the vitality of the River to the region’s ecological ecosystem. Through healthy and robust ongoing dialogue, FoLAR is proud to announce Postmates will serve as a leading sponsor to their upcoming 30th Annual Great LA River CleanUp; assisting in FoLAR’s efforts in bringing People to the River; delivering a stellar anniversary clean up; and committing to an ongoing advocacy based partnership to advance FoLAR legislative interests.
“Calling yourself a cook is like calling the LA River a river” read the billboard and advertising campaign launched by Postmates in late 2018, drawing the attention of Angelenos who cherish the River. Striving to find more respectful and durable ways to protect a vital natural resource to the Los Angeles region, a region that has long been the company’s largest market, Postmates representatives reached out to FoLAR expressing a genuine interest in learning the history and impact of the River Movement to reimagine LA’s infamous flood control channel as a 51-mile river, capable of supporting life. In line with its tradition of “bringing people to the River”, FoLAR brought Postmates representatives on a River tour to demonstrate the opportunity the River represents to deliver parks, open space, and ecological restoration on our urban waterway.
By continuing the conversation, FoLAR and Postmates found a teachable moment and an opportunity to reach new audiences with the call to action on behalf of our River. Postmates will serve as a title sponsor of FoLAR’s 30th Annual La Gran Limpieza in April 2019. FoLAR’s CleanUp will occur April 13th in the Upper River, April 20th in the Middle River, and April 27th in the Lower River. More information is available online at: folar.org/cleanup-2019/
Not only is Postmates a corporate sponsor of the largest urban river clean up in the country, but the tech company is also assisting the grassroots organization’s outreach digitally to identify new and local volunteers and regional merchants to the mission of stewardship. Postmates will execute an email campaign and deliver in-app notifications to its sizeable usership in Los Angeles County, encouraging them to join the army of volunteers. With a dynamic workforce across the city and county of LA, that connects customers to their favorite tastes, brands, and products, Postmates is uniquely positioned to help deliver a wide tapestry of neighborhoods to the cleanup, in the same way they power the delivery of goods to the region daily.
Beyond the 30th Annual River CleanUp event, Postmates will continue to track key local measures, and implement community organizing efforts, to advance key public policy interests and to add the power of its voice & app to legislative interests that balance the sustainable needs of the river with the goals of the region.
“While Postmates is proud to grow the sales of local merchant businesses; supplement incomes of our local fleet; and connect Angelenos to their favorite brands all through the power of an app — we also know that calling Los Angeles our largest home demands that we take steps to preserve & safeguard the people, the products and public spaces that power this community,” said Vikrum Aiyer, Vice President for Public Policy & Strategic Communications, at Postmates. “From partnerships with the ACLU to protect the immigrant rights in the region; to in-app R&D that curbs the use of plastics in our delivery supply chain; to pilot programs that route & rescue leftover food to homeless shelters in LA, we are constantly experimenting with new ways to leverage the superpower of our product to advance policies of inclusivity, sustainability, and economic certainty. When we wanted to get smart about the rich history of the river, and it’s importance to so many ecosystems in the region, we were thrilled to find a friend & thought partner in FoLAR to inspire River stewardship, and inspire creative ways a tech platform can invest in sustainable outcomes.”
FoLAR Executive Director Marissa Christiansen commented:
Everyone can understand why FoLAR took offense to Postmates’ advertising campaign at the expense of our beloved LA River. We earned our stripes by insisting to public agencies that it is, indeed, a River and not a flood control channel. That said, it is truly refreshing and encouraging to witness Postmates’ willingness to learn why so many Angelenos cherish the River, and our collective aspiration for the River serving as a catalyst for ecological restoration and public space. We’re delighted to have Postmates’ support and unique partnership in making our upcoming 30th Annual River CleanUp the biggest yet and to mint a new class of River stewards.
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Friends of the Los Angeles River (FoLAR):
Friends of the Los Angeles River is a 501c3 nonprofit whose mission since 1986 has been to ensure a publicly acccessible and ecologically sustainable Los Angeles River by inspiring River stewardship through community engagement, education, advocacy, and thought leadership. FoLAR is a leading, powerful force guiding policy and connecting communities to the River, nationally respected as a leader in urban river revitalization with a membership of 35,000.
About Postmates:
Postmates helps people unlock the best of their cities – and their lives, with the leading on-demand “anything” network. Launched in 2011, Postmates led the on-demand delivery movement in the U.S. by offering delivery from restaurants and stores previously only available offline. The company now operates in nearly 3,000 cities across the US and Mexico, and provides access to over 300,000 merchants. Postmates is headquartered in San Francisco and has more than 800 employees. Learn more: www.postmates.com