Rapid Innovation Solutions: Feed the Need

In this course students interview subject matter experts, stakeholders, etc. to find out more about the problem and test possible solutions. The course ends with the students presenting their final minimum viable product to their sponsors. Our Spring 2021 cohort included six teams of students that took on projects from combatting human trafficking to increasing the chance of finding downed personnel.

More than 35 million people in the United States live in households that struggle with hunger and food insecurity. That translates to over 10 percent of the population. This struggle can be caused by a lot of factors including poverty rates, population growth, and a lack of resources.

Cities around the United States have food banks that try to curb some of this pain. Places like ICA Food Shelf in Minnesota work to get food into the hands of those who need it most. However, it can be difficult to know where to send resources and how to make sure those who are struggling get the food they need. ICA Food Shelf submitted a challenge to our Rapid Innovation course and gave our student team, later named Feed the Need, the chance to help.

Jaden Tatum, Derrick Wyman, Jessica Huang, and Melina Willis took on the challenge of breaking down the barriers to emergency food assistance. The three questions they were tasked with answering included:

• How does ICA ensure that they are reaching those experiencing hunger?
• What efforts can ICA take to expand services and reach the most in need?
• How does ICA measure their impact?

Feed the Need identified numerous groups that were underserved in the community including those who lack awareness of ICA, don’t qualify for services, don’t have access to adequate transportation, have little access to technology, are underemployed, or lack a solid support network.

Feed the Need spent 16 weeks interviewing subject matter experts and stakeholders as well as members of the community to better understand the pain points for more effective services while testing possible solutions that could help ICA towards their goal.

By the end of the semester, Feed the Need came up with a three-pronged approach towards creating better outcomes for those in need. The first part involved the creation of a data visualization tool that can help define areas of need and how much of the population is being reached. By tracking information such as unemployment and poverty rates in the areas, ICA will be better equipped to understand where their services are most likely to be needed.

The second part of their solution was a framework for creating partnerships in the community. This will help ICA in vetting partnerships for the future. It also creates a standard for quality of food and service that must be met by community partners. This also helps ICA target specific community organizations and partners that can create a support network for the community.

The final portion of the solution was a scorecard that will help ICA define and measure their goals. This includes statistics on how many people are served, from where, and includes diversity information to measure equitable outcomes. It also includes qualitative surveys so those using the services can help ICA understand what is working and what is not.

Each of these parts come together to create a better opportunity for ICA Food Shelf to serve their community and provides a framework for other food shelves around the country to be able to find those in need and help them thrive. Our student team did a wonderful job going through the steps of learning the problem, testing out solutions, and providing a solution that can be implemented by ICA Food Shelf to make a real impact in the community.

Are you a student interested in course that challenges you to use your skills in a collaborative environment to make real impact on the world around you? Are you part of a government agency or non-profit that would like to get fresh, creative eyes on a challenge that you are facing? Email us Ethan Rivera at rivera.154@osu.edu to get more information on how you can be a part of Rapid Innovation for Public Impact.