Insights to Enable Food Distribution
Applying visualization and clear metrics to analyze and report data for better decision making
Food is a basic need for an increasing number of families facing food insecurity due to Covid-19. Many school districts started feeding adults in addition to children to ensure children eat their full meal without having to split it among family members. When stay-at-home orders led to a quick shift to remote learning, students were not receiving the meals they would normally obtain at school. This was particularly impactful for students who qualify for free and reduced school meal programs.
This large school district acted rapidly to establish a “Grab and Go” approach using a subset of school campus locations to ensure children and their families were fed. Each Grab and Go site also incorporated local community non-profits and in-kind donations as part of the distribution process. Volunteers were retained and educated on complying with CDC guidelines to ensure the safety of district employees and the community. Each of the 60+ sites offered pre-packaged breakfast and lunch to every child aged 0-18 and every adult in need.
The Food Services division was operating in a “crisis mode” and was forced to quickly stand up a distribution process including new Covid-19 safety procedures. Other challenges included: