Hometown Food Security

Rapidly developing a lean mobile platform for community food access

Project Context

Hometown Food Security, a coalition led by Hormel Foods alongside United Way, Salvation Army, and Mayo Clinic, launched an initiative to address food insecurity in Mower County, Minnesota.

Their mobile platform would help residents locate food assistance resources through an intuitive map, collect quarterly survey data to measure program impact, and coordinate volunteers through push notifications. This pilot program was designed to expand to other Hormel communities if successful.

Services

iOS DevelopmentAndroid Development

Timeline

2 months

Team

1 iOS developer, 1 Android developer

Key Technology

SwiftJetpack ComposeKotlinSwiftUI

Industry

Non-profit

Project Opportunity

Develop efficient, cost-effective iOS and Android apps, delivering core functionality in just two months while ensuring the platform could scale to support future community rollouts.

Platform-native design approach

We leveraged standard iOS and Android design patterns to create familiar, accessible interfaces for each platform. By embracing native components and minimizing custom styling, we ensured the apps felt intuitive while supporting localization in specific regional dialects like Karenni and Anuak.
Our efficient, multi-purpose platform combines native functionality with lightweight solutions. A JSON-based content management system enables easy resource updates, while integrations with native maps, Zoho for surveys, and OneSignal for notifications create a complete solution within non-profit budget constraints.

Hometown food security app notifications

Outcomes

The initial deployment of the app in Mower County validated the lean development approach, delivering a replicable model for other Hormel communities while securing additional grant funding for expansion. The support for multiple regional dialects ensured inclusive access across the community.

Build with a team that starts with the hard part.

Tell us about the problem in your own words. We will tell you honestly whether we are the right team for it.

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