“Inspire and strengthen our communities to work together to increase food security. ”———— Food Bank of Central New York
Background. Food Bank of Central New York serves as the main food distribution hub for hundreds of partner agencies that comprise the emergency food network in our eleven county service region across central and northern New York. The Food Bank provides more than 14 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 12.1 million meals – to hungry families, children, and elderly every year. (1)
Knowledge. Food banks are often times mistaken for food pantries. Unlike pantries, most food banks do not distribute food directly to the public. A food bank is a warehouse and distribution center where food is solicited, received, inventoried, and then distributed to local pantries and soup kitchens.(2) In simple terms, a food pantry is a subsidiary of the food bank.If you think of a food bank as a warehouse, the food pantry is a retail store and needs to be delivered food from the big warehouse.
Problems. The emergence of this non-profit organization brings warmth to people struggling for life. However, according to feedback from food pantry employees, there are still some issues such as food waste, language issues, etc. that need to be resolved. After a few weeks of visiting food pantry, observing, immersive research, interviewing employees and users, we summarized the following problems:
1. Elders and disabled need to walk a long distance to get their belonging pantry, so as volunteers. 2. The recipe offered by food pantry looks too rough, customers don't take it. 3. People don't take free surplus food because they don't how to cook with it which causes lots of waste. 4. It's difficult for staff and customer to communicate except in English.
Solution. Mobile pantry and improved recipe.
Keywords: Food bank, Food pantry, Mobile, Recipe, Language, Reduce food waste.
Design Overview
Mobile pantry overview by sketch
Mobile pantry overview by rendering model
Customers start from the right side, taste overstock food sample, if they want to make the sample food at home by themselves, they can take a recipe bag with all the ingredients inside. After that, customers swipe their ID card, hand in food menu and take order menu for next week. They can waiting at the left side.
Design Elements
Recipe bag
Seasoning bag
Food menu for order(English)
Food menu for order back (English)
Food menu for order(Spanish)
Food menu for order back(Spanish)
Potential Sponsors (Local industry)
Mobile pantry route (Syracuse)
Reference.
（1）(2)Food Bank vs. Food Pantry. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://foodbankcny.org/about-us/food-bank-vs-food-pantry/.
