“Food Finder” app connects people in need with food in their area

By: Amanda Pitts

alpitts@abc6.com

@AmandaPittsTV

DARTMOUTH, M.A. — A new app is helping connect people in need in Southern New England with free food in their area.

“Food Finder” is the brainchild of a group from UMass Dartmouth, and is a team effort amongst the university, Food Security Network, and Coastline Elderly Services.

The app uses technology to link people with free food from places like churches, farmers markets, and community-held meals.

The group has been working on the app for nearly two years and is preparing for its launch. The website is already live. When visiting, type in your location, the distance you’re willing to travel, what you’re looking for, and a map will appear with food options.

"We started this program thinking about what kind of impact can we have on people’s day to day health, simply through providing them with decent, affordable, fresh foods." – Christine Sullivan, Coastline Elderly Services

UMass Dartmouth Associate Professor, Tim Shea, is working on building the app but says the idea came from SouthCoast Serves, a community service organization on campus.

The group meets once a week and said they wanted to dig deeper and do more than just volunteer at food banks. 

"How can we make sure more people are healthy and eating healthy food, and what are some of the technology that we have that can help make that available?" – Deirdre Healy, Leduc Center for Civic Engagement

The other component of the app is an alert system. If you have free food, you can send out a push notification to everyone in the network.

"In New Bedford, there are free meals available three times a day, seven days a week. People can see, ‘Oh I can actually have breakfast lunch and dinner, the kids can be fed.’" – Christine Sullivan, Coastline Elderly Services

"We can really work on ending hunger in our region. That’s the ultimate goal."

Food Finder launches in the fall, and UMass Dartmouth students will help keep it running.

To check out the website, click here.

(c) WLNE-TV 2018