🌱 GWC Hackathon 2026 — Innovation for the Under-Served - Neha Shinil, Anmol Bhowmik, Hannah Kochher

No Food
Should Go
to Waste.

FoodBridge is a geolocation-based platform connecting restaurants and grocery stores with excess food directly to community kitchens and shelters — eliminating waste and fighting hunger at the same time.

See How It Works The Problem
Live redistribution map — Central NJ
Chipotle 23 lbs ready Whole Foods 41 lbs ready Panera Bread 18 lbs ready Central Shelter Community Kitchen
Donor Recipient - - Active route
82lbs
Saved Today
14
Active Donors
6
Shelters Served
The Problem

Two crises. One solution.

Every day in America, restaurants, grocery stores, and cafeterias discard enormous quantities of perfectly edible food — simply because demand was lower than expected, or items are nearing their "best by" date.

At the same time, over 44 million Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from. Community shelters and food kitchens struggle with inconsistent donations, unpredictable supply, and a lack of coordination with local food businesses.

The gap between these two realities isn't a resource problem — it's a logistics problem. FoodBridge closes that gap with real-time technology.

🗑️
40%
of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted each year
🍽️
1 in 8
Americans face food insecurity — including 1 in 5 children
📍
~70%
of shelters report difficulty getting consistent food donations
🍕 The Waste Side
Tons of food. Nowhere to go.
Restaurants prepare food daily without knowing exact demand. Unsold meals, surplus produce, and near-expiry stock end up in the trash — a costly and environmentally harmful cycle that happens every single night.
↕ The gap FoodBridge fills ↕
🏠 The Hunger Side
Real need. Inconsistent supply.
Community kitchens and shelters serving the poorest residents operate on tight budgets with unpredictable donations. They need reliable, real-time access to available food — right in their neighborhood.
How It Works

From surplus to table in four steps.

FoodBridge makes redistribution fast, transparent, and reliable — for donors, recipients, and volunteers alike.

1
📸
Donor Posts Surplus
A restaurant or store opens FoodBridge, snaps a photo, lists quantity and food type, and sets a pickup window. The whole process takes under 90 seconds.
2
📡
Geo-Match Finds Recipients
Our algorithm instantly geo-matches the listing to verified shelters, food banks, and community kitchens within a set radius. Nearby recipients get an instant push notification.
3
🤝
Shelter Claims the Food
The closest available recipient claims the listing. A confirmation and routing map are sent to both parties. Community volunteers can also opt in to facilitate pickup and delivery.
4
✅
Food Delivered & Logged
Both parties confirm pickup via the app. Every transaction is logged — building a transparent impact record and letting local organizations track redistribution data over time.
Key Features

Built for the real world.

📍
Real-Time Geolocation Matching
Live GPS connects the nearest donor to the nearest recipient, minimizing travel time and ensuring food is picked up before it expires — across any city or suburb.
🔔
Instant Push Notifications
Shelters receive immediate alerts when new food is listed nearby. No manual checking — critical time-sensitive donations reach recipients in seconds.
🛡️
Verified Donor & Recipient Network
All participating organizations are verified accounts, ensuring food safety standards are upheld and building trust throughout the entire redistribution network.
📊
Impact Dashboard
Donors can see exactly how much food they've saved from the landfill and how many meals their contributions have provided — turning waste reduction into a positive story.
🚗
Volunteer Routing System
Community volunteers sign up to pick up and deliver food when shelters can't send staff. Optimized routing keeps effort and cost minimal for everyone involved.
📱
Accessible, Low-Data Design
Built with lower-income communities in mind — works on older smartphones, uses minimal data, and supports multiple languages for maximum accessibility and reach.
Projected Impact

Numbers that matter.

Based on data from similar redistribution programs and the scale of food waste in a mid-size city.

500K+
Pounds of Food Saved Annually
Per mid-size city deployment, diverting perfectly edible food from landfills every year.
400K+
Meals Provided Each Year
Reaching families, individuals, children, and seniors experiencing food insecurity.
$2M+
Food Waste Costs Eliminated
Saving businesses money on disposal fees while cutting methane emissions from decomposing food in landfills.
Who It Serves

Three communities. One platform.

🍕
Food Donors
Restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, cafeterias
  • Reduce waste disposal costs
  • Earn tax deductions for donations
  • Build community goodwill & brand reputation
  • Track your social impact in real-time
🏠
Shelters & Kitchens
Food banks, community kitchens, homeless shelters, soup kitchens
  • Receive real-time surplus food alerts
  • Consistent, predictable food supply
  • Reduce spend on purchasing food
  • Serve more people with fewer resources
🙌
Volunteers
Community members, students, delivery drivers
  • Sign up for nearby pickup missions
  • Optimized delivery routes via the app
  • Track your personal contribution hours
  • Connect with local organizations you care about
Technology Stack

Built to scale.

FoodBridge uses reliable, accessible technologies that can be deployed quickly and scaled to any city — without expensive infrastructure.

HTML / CSS / JavaScript
Frontend interface — accessible on any device or browser
Google Maps API
Real-time geolocation matching & route optimization
Firebase / Firestore
Real-time database for live listings & notifications
Push Notification API
Instant alerts to shelter staff when food is listed nearby
Python (Backend Logic)
Matching algorithm, impact tracking, data analytics
🌿 FoodBridge
NEARBY DONATIONS — 0.5mi
🍕 Chipotle — Route 1
0.3 mi
Rice, beans, guacamole, tortillas
23 lbs · Pickup by 9 PM
🥦 Whole Foods Market
0.5 mi
Fresh produce, baked goods, dairy
41 lbs · Pickup by 10 PM
🥐 Panera Bread
0.8 mi
Bread, bagels, pastries, soups
18 lbs · Pickup by 8 PM
GWC Hackathon 2026

The technology exists.
The need is urgent.
Let's build it.

FoodBridge is our hackathon project built around the theme of innovation for the under-served. We believe that smart, simple technology can solve one of society's most solvable problems.

👩‍💻 Built by Girls Who Code
🌱 Theme: Innovation for the Under-Served
📍 J.P. Stevens High School, NJ
Explore the Solution Learn the Problem