Hannah Kimura

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Project 1: Impact Case ​

Table of Contents:

  1. Team contract
  2. Draft impact case
  3. Interview roles and potential interviewees
  4. Research
  5. Explore impacts
  6. Interview plans
  7. Interviews
  8. Impact case (revised)

Team contract ​

We all aim to receive an A (90% or higher) on the assignments related to this project. Each team member is willing to put in 10 hours per week.

Our personal goals for this project are as follows: learning how to design more intuitive interfaces (Olivia), (Eghosa), (Luca), creating an app that can improve a social issue (Hannah).

We plan to meet twice a week, during the periods when we used to have class (i.e. Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM) in the Stud.

To maintain quality of work, we plan to review each other's code on GitHub before Monday team meetings and discuss any questions/concerns relating to code reviews during the meetings.

We plan to assign tasks by looking at each assignment and the number of hours for each task during our Wednesday meetings, and splitting the tasks up evenly based on the number of expected hours so that each team member has a similar workload every week. We also plan to set deadlines for different components of the task so that we can stay on top of work, and reassign tasks in case of extenuating circumstances to avoid missing deadlines. If one deadline has been missed without a member mentioning anything, or if three deadlines are missed with the member mentioning that they are having trouble, that team member is obligated to buy the rest of the team one meal.

Decisions will be made by majority vote, if the votes are tied, the decision goes to whoever is working on the task. Disagreements will be resolved via the voting mechanism.

Signed: Olivia Steger, Luca Musk, Hannah Kimura, Eghosa Ohenhen

Draft impact case ​

The problem of food pantry inventory is important because all people deserve access to nutritious meals, and client demand for healthy, staple foods eclipses food pantry supply (Link). Our solution to address this problem is an inventory management app that helps food pantries organize dietarily diverse deliveries and maintain a stock of sufficiently nutritious items. We believe that this system is a good solution because previous research has shown that when food pantries have access to nutrition information, they order more nutritious foods (Link), so in turn, clients will be able to satisfy more of the food needs that they expressly rely on food pantries to provide. We can measure total money spent on unused supplies before and after uptake to prove that this application is a good solution to food pantry inventory management.

Interview roles and potential interviewees ​

Each team member will be responsible for conducting at least one interview. We aim to interview one expert on food security and food banks, as well as direct stakeholders, including food pantry users and food pantry managers.

Potential Interviewees:

  • Expert: Daniel Maxwell, Henry J. Leir Professor in Food Security at Tufts University
  • Expert: Aliza R. Wasserman, Director of the Office of Food Justice for the City of Boston
  • Stakeholder: AJ Walker, manages a school district food pantry in upstate New York
  • Stakeholder: Bruce Rosen, Member of the Board of Directors for Westside Food Bank
  • Stakeholder: Olga Mitchell, volunteer and user of a church-led food bank in High Point, NC
  • Stakeholder: Reb, user of food pantries during COVID-19 to help her church

Research ​

  • In the US, 49 million people rely on food programs and 44 million people are food insecure (Link)
  • In Massachusetts specifically, 33% of households experience food insecurity, and following the COVID-19 pandemic, this number has continued to grow (Link)
  • Some main concerns for food pantry users are pantries running out of food (35%) and long lines and wait times (34%) (Link)
    • Studies have shown that these fears are not unfounded: food pantries are not reliably open when they claim to be and when they are open, they do not reliably have food on hand to distribute (Link)
  • Another major concern is that while clients depend on food pantries to supply healthy, staple foods, a common perception is that clients desire convenience foods (Link, Link)
    • The CDC recommends that food pantries focus less money on convenience foods, which are donated in abundance, and redirect any funds towards procuring healthy staples, which clients have more trouble procuring independently (Link)
    • Existing food pantry management apps do not provide a way for clients to provide feedback on desired items and do not collate information about unused inventory to help inform buying decisions (Link, Link)
  • One food pantry management app, created by PlanStreet, has options for inventory tracking and case management (Link)
    • Users cannot set up collection times or request specific items themselves
    • The lack of access from food pantry clients also means that there is no way to obtain information about most-requested items or feedback about unused items
  • After implementing a system where clients can fill an online cart based on pantry stock and then schedule a pickup time, an Ohio-based food bank noticed that wait times decreased from between two and three hours to between twenty and thirty minutes (Link)
    • The system only allows reservations for non-perishables due to inventory issues
    • The software used, SmartChoice by Analytic Solutions, seems to only be implemented in kiosk form in most food bank locations, so users must be physically present at the food bank to place an order, defeating the purpose of an order-ahead system (Link, Link)
  • A McKinsey analysis of the Greater Boston Food Bank showed that main areas for improvement should include a shopping app and an online ordering process that includes check-in tools for pantries to collect necessary information (Link)
    • A main pain point for users was that they were not sure where they needed to go to collect food, or at what times the food bank was open for pickup
    • Another common problem for clients was a language barrier with staff who can only communicate in English
  • Other competitors:
    • Link2Feed seems to have extensive management capabilities, but lacks consumer-focused tools (users can’t see if they’ve reached quotas, nearby locations, or see inventory) (Link)
    • The website for the Greater Boston Food Bank is focused on data analytics but lacks client-side interactivity (Link)
    • FoodBank Manager has many tools that are strictly management-focused without any interface for clients to use (Link)
    • BankTheFood focuses on donor relations and provides lists of needed items to donors, but again lacks an interface for food bank clients to interact with (Link)

Explore impacts: VSD Analysis ​

Stakeholders ​

Direct Stakeholders: Direct stakeholders are clients who access the food pantry’s services, volunteers that help with food sorting, distribution, and administrative duties, food suppliers that provide them with food items at reduced costs or for free, other food banks in partnership, government agencies and food bank administrators.

Variation in Human Ability: Users of food pantries are diverse, and can include users who are not familiar with online ordering systems, as well as those who do not speak English. We need to simplify the interface by requiring the minimum viable information from users, so that it is easy to proceed through the interface with a small number of clicks and consider translation.

Time ​

Adaptation: Our research showed that many food pantries do not have any schedule management of when clients can pick up food. Introducing this feature could restrict when users are able to pick up orders, forcing them to mold their schedules around available queue times, which could reduce their ability to earn.

Pervasiveness ​

Appropriation by Cultural Groups: With any food management comes the problem of dietary restrictions, including religious restrictions and restrictions due to allergens. We plan to use the Open Food Facts API to provide users with dietary information so that they can navigate any dietary restrictions while utilizing the food pantry’s resources. In an article written by the Boston Scope, Behar, director of the Family Table program siad “People who are in need have their own specific dietary requirements, whether it’s keeping Kosher or having particular allergies or being allergic to gluten,” “It’s a matter of dignity. People should have that choice in their lives.”

Values ​

Value Tensions: We want users to be able to sign up easily whenever they have a chance, but we also want all users to have equal access to supplies. However, as updates to the inventory propagate to users in real time, what users get access to which items depends on when they log in to schedule a pickup, so users may miss the chance to reserve desirable foods.

Environmental Sustainability: While the app’s aim is to ensure that clients can get the food that they want, we hope that this will help to reduce food waste, as pantries will be able to see what food users want and reduce purchasing of foods that are undesirable. However, the app allows users to reserve specific quantities of food ahead of time, so any no-shows would mean the food is no longer available to other clients, which would actually increase food waste. One way that we could limit the negative effects of no-shows is by giving any extra food to other organizations that could distribute it, which one of our interviewees mentioned.

Interview plans ​

Reb: Attended food banks multiple times during COVID-19 to help get groceries for her church

  • What are you looking for when you go to a food bank?
  • What influences your decision to go to a food bank? Have you used one recently?
  • Are there times of day or products you are looking for in which you would opt not to use a food bank?
  • When have trips been disappointing?

Olga: Volunteer and user of a church-led food bank in High Point, NC

  • Can you describe your experience working with food pantries? What is your role and how long have you been involved?
  • How was the food bank funded?
  • How was the food bank operated?
  • Can you describe how someone would get food at your food bank?
  • How did people know about the food bank?

AJ: Manages a school district food pantry in New York

  • What are the biggest difficulties with obtaining the items you need?
  • What are the biggest difficulties you face with distribution of the food?
  • Are there any other constraints that make managing the food pantry particularly difficult?

Bruce: Member of the board of directors for the Westside Food Bank

  • What are the biggest difficulties with obtaining the items you need?
  • What methods do you use to track inventory?
  • How do you manage long lines?
  • How do you manage demand for particular items?
  • How do you manage donations?
  • Do you find that sometimes the food stock is not the food that people want? What happens in these scenarios?
  • What info does a person need to give to be able to get food (is location important – what if they are homeless)?

Interviews ​

Our target audience is people who are discouraged or prevented from using current food banks due to their busy schedule, long lines at the food banks, and dietary restrictions (which many food banks don’t account for). To get the full idea of the main issues with today’s current food banks, we needed to hear from both people that worked/volunteered for food banks and people that use food banks. This allowed us to discover issues both in terms of supply (maybe why some foods are more difficult to stock) and demand (what needs consumers have that aren’t being met). In interviews, we tried to capture a broad range of perspectives by interviewing a food pantry coordinator, a food bank volunteer, a food bank client, and a food bank manager, all of whom are in different locations across the country. This gave us insights from three different types of shareholders.

One stakeholder interviewee was AJ Walker, who manages a school district food pantry in upstate New York. During her time working with the food pantry, the main problems she has faced involve ensuring that clients are given a cohesive package of food that addresses their needs and tracking what supplies are in stock or are needed. She noted that clients rely on the pantry for staple items, such as beans, rice, and canned vegetables, but inconsistent donations mean that volunteers have to create packages of supplies on hand, which families may not be able to use. The food pantry has also struggled with maintaining an inventory log, and currently uses paper to track incoming and outgoing items, as well as the families the items are delivered to, which presents some security concerns. Furthermore, the food pantry uses an Amazon wishlist to request items, which does not accurately reflect their supply needs at any given time. These problems present two opportunities: a way for families to be able to select which items they need from current stock, so that no food goes to waste, and a way for the food pantry to anonymously pack supplies and receive information about most wanted items.

Another stakeholder interviewee was Olga Mitchell, a retired woman who helped the High Point SDA Church’s food bank, led by a woman named Ms. Jo, for five years. Most of what the food bank distributed was from local grocery stores. Ms. Jo went to the stores and talked to the managers and asked if they would like to help her cause by giving their leftovers (ex. close to expiration, extra stock) grocery stock to her. Ms Jo also applied for and received grants from sponsors like United Way and non-governmental agencies, which she used to supplement the donated items. Olga mentioned facing problems getting consistent volunteers and efficient food management, mainly because most operational tasks are performed on paper. The food bank also faced issues communicating with clients because food bank hours and rules are spread via word of mouth. There were also additional constraints on food bank access, so volunteers had to manually verify whether clients were eligible, and turn away those who were not. Organizers had not considered using online forms, and Olga recognized that "a website to manage the forms would be very helpful because this [filling out the forms] could be done prior to coming in if they had the website and would cut down on the time." Olga was also able to provide some perspective as a client after becoming a client during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was frustrated with the lack of customization of the food boxes given: "I felt bad taking the boxes because I live by myself, so a lot of food would go to waste, so I gave leftovers to friends in need."

Bruce Rosen is a member of the board of directors for the Westside Food Bank, which serves veterans in need. While 50% of the food distributed by Westside Food Bank comes from donations, there are concerns with the current donation collection system. In Bruce’s words, “Right now on our website we can only get money donations, but it would be nice if we could also get food donations and have something where we could make a wish list of foods that we really need.” Bruce also raised the idea of expanding beyond food donations to include items like furniture and medicine, which could be distributed by community partners. In terms of procuring foods that clients desire, Bruce said that "healthier food is a lot harder to stock because it is usually more perishable." Eligibility for food banks often hinges on a permanent address, which poses challenges for homeless individuals seeking food assistance. Westside Food Bank solves this problem by allowing homeless individuals to use local shelter addresses for service. Bruce also highlighted their unique approach of providing prepared food, which benefits homeless veterans and addresses inclusivity issues in food pantry offerings.

Our final interviewee was Reb, who went to numerous food banks with her mom during the COVID-19 pandemic to gather food for their church friends. Reb provided a compelling depiction of the frustrations experienced when attending a food bank. The first major issue was in queue times. She explained how the lines at food banks were incredibly long, causing wait times of up to 5 hours. Because of this, many of those who attended her church simply did not have the time or flexibility to even attend a food bank. Interestingly, the food available at the pantries were disappointing but her and her mother frequently had to go to multiple food pantries regardless. This is largely because though the food was good, it was inconsistent in knowing when particular items were available. She expressed how useful it would have been to know what items were available before going, since it would have saved her mother and her significantly more time. She also delved into general technological issues, since the banks she frequented had applications for signups. These apps had numerous issues with communicating to the user, where Reb had to frequently help others in line and even personally found it quite frustrating. In general, it seems like the use of technology at these food banks has failed to really improve the customer experience.

Impact case (revised) ​

Food insecurity has been an ever present issue within the United States. In Massachusetts, 33% of households experience food insecurity, up from 19% before the pandemic (Link). Nation-wide, 49 million people rely on food assistance programs to mitigate food scarcity (Link). These food assistance programs, such as food pantries, are vital for the nutrition of people all over the country. Despite their importance, many report concerns of insufficient supply and long wait times at the banks themselves (Link). One of our interviewees, Reb, noted it took upwards of 5 hours to do a food pantry trip. The lack of reliability for opening hours and supply only compounds the problem (Link).

Our solution to address this problem focuses on queue and demand management for food pantries, allowing food pantry administrators to update inventory, and users to see and reserve desired foods for pickup, as well as scheduling pickup slots.

From the viewpoint of a food pantry administrator, this solution mitigates the need for volunteers to manage long lines, and allows the food pantries to schedule pickup times around volunteer availability, helping users avoid long trips to a closed food bank. Furthermore, ordering ahead provides administrators with valuable information on client demand, so that they can plan purchases based on popular items and minimize wasted inventory. For clients, this approach directly ameliorates issues of long wait times and inconsistent food supplies. Reb mentioned how helpful it would have been to have a specific pickup time, and Olga receiving boxes of food that she could not use, and this system would solve both of these issues.

Helpful metrics to measure the success of the app would be customer satisfaction for their wait times and food, time spent on volunteer management for food banks, and money spent on wasted produce.