Overview

Reelay: Rescue Food On Your Way

A community app that matches food donors with student volunteers already commuting nearby. By aligning food pickups with students' existing routes, Reelay transforms daily commutes into food rescue missions, fighting waste and supporting food banks with minimal detours.

Problem statement

Food banks and organizations across Canada struggle to meet the rising demand for food assistance due to shortages of donors and volunteers.

Who is affected?

Food Banks and organizations

Donors

Volunteers

The number of visits that households made has risen dramatically with an 81% increase from 2019 to 2024.

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Second Harvest was able to support more than 4,400 non-profits and charities such as food banks and shelters.

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In March 2024, food banks in Canada saw a record 2 million visits—a 6% increase from 2023 and 90% more than in 2019—putting major strain on already limited volunteer resources.

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Research

Research Methods

To create Reelay, a volunteer-donor app focused on reducing food waste and supporting food banks, a variety of research methods were used: (click the arrow to read more)

Literature Review – Researched food waste and food bank challenges.
Stakeholder Interviews 01– Food Banks and organizations.
Stakeholder Interviews 02 – UBC Food Bank.
Surveys – Collected insights from Emily Carr students.
Field Studies – Observed food banks and community fridges in action.
Competitor Research – Analyzed existing donation and volunteer platforms.