FlashFood is a SMS-based social media service created by a team of six Arizona State University students that aims to secure restaurant leftovers for some of the 48.8 million Americans faced with food insecurity at home.
The innovative yet simple service was the winning software design entry in Microsoft's US Imagine Cup, a student technology competition.
FlashFood is designed as a food recovery network, allowing restaurants or caterers with excess food at the end of an evening to send a notification to the network's volunteers, who pickup and deliver the food to a local community center. At the same time, a notification is sent to the hungry that lets them know there are meals available for pickup, also letting them know where.
Following the success at the US Imagine Cup, the team will now work on building a network of food insecure individuals, while they also plan to operate on a hybrid nonprofit/for-profit model.
Hunger-Eliminating Social Media
FlashFood Turns Restaurant Leftovers into Meals for the Hungry
Trend Themes
1. Food Recovery Networks - A trend in creating networks to connect restaurants with excess food to organizations and individuals in need, such as FlashFood's SMS-based service.
2. Social Media for Social Good - A trend in leveraging the power of social media to address social issues and make a positive impact, as seen in FlashFood's use of SMS-based notifications.
3. Hybrid Nonprofit/for-profit Models - A trend in developing business models that combine elements of nonprofit and for-profit approaches, as demonstrated by FlashFood's plan for operation.
Industry Implications
1. Food Services Industry - The industry that includes restaurants and catering companies, which can benefit from implementing systems like FlashFood's to reduce food waste and help those in need.
2. Social Media Industry - The industry encompassing social media platforms and services, where there is potential for more platforms to be utilized for social good, such as FlashFood's SMS-based service.
3. Nonprofit Sector - The sector of organizations focused on addressing social and environmental issues, which could explore hybrid models like FlashFood's to achieve financial sustainability while fulfilling their mission.