Coding Bootcamp Final Project Group Takes Web Application Live at Local Food Pantry
Last week, graduates from We Can Code IT’s spring cohort took their final web application project live at the Broad Street Food Pantry. Their app, Pantry Plus, eliminates time spent waiting in line at the food pantry and allows pantry guests to place their food order online ahead of time for pick-up.
The Pantry Plus Team: Alex Malcolm, Brooke Hauser, Jeffery Salisbury, Micheal Quentin, Marc Gold, Matt McCall
The Broad Street Food Pantry serves an average of 1,600 individuals per month. The pantry is run by volunteers and is open Monday – Friday from 9:30 am – 11:30 am and Saturday from 9:30 am – 10:30 am. Because of the high amount of pantry guests and the limited amount of time the pantry is open, guests end up having to wait at least an hour in line to get their food. This is problematic for several reasons such as having to come in during weekday work hours, limited transportation options, and childcare schedules.
Pantry Plus solves these problems by allowing pantry guests to order their food through the web application anytime before Thursday at noon, and then pick up their food from the pantry on Saturday.
About the Coding Bootcamp Final Project Effort
The idea for the Broad Street Food Pantry application came from team member Matt McCall, who has volunteered at the pantry for over two years. He pitched the idea to the class and everyone was excited to dive into a project that solved a real-life problem.
The students had 3-weeks to create the application before presenting it at We Can Code IT’s Demo Day. They used Java, JavaScript, and several APIs, along with TDD (Test Driven Development) and Agile methodologies to create the application. The team’s advice to those who have never used TDD: “You can write code well and fast, but you probably can’t write maintainable or readable code in the long term [when not using TDD]. The real work isn’t just getting it done, but to continue to develop and maintain. It’s super hard without TDD.”
“I really enjoyed making something real. It wasn’t just a hypothetical project. Every feature added enabled users to get more out of the application.” – Alex Malcolm
The Broad Street Food Pantry is located at 760 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43205. For more information on volunteering or donating non-perishable products, contact 614-221-6552.
