Food banks across the country are constantly working to innovate and improve their services, and without them, the Feeding America network could never provide for those in need. Each month, we’ll be turning the spotlight onto an individual food bank that is working hard to become even more efficient and effective.

This month, we are featuring Forgotten Harvest.

Each time executive director Susan Goodell saw a UPS commercial or signed for mail, she imagined the benefits of a handheld computer system to her growing organization.  As the director of Forgotten Harvest, a food bank receiving and delivering more than 9 million pounds of groceries each year, she knew the small mail-tracking gadgets could work wonders for a slightly overwhelmed staff.  Luck approached her during a 2005 Detroit Regional luncheon when she met with Kettering University’s executive director of Cooperative and Career Services.  As the two spoke, they eventually broached the subject of what Kettering University could do for Forgotten Harvest.  Goodell eagerly presented the idea of creating a tracking system with handheld computers for the food bank’s truck drivers.

Goodell’s vision came into fruition in 2006 with the help of a few Kettering engineering students, the voluntary efforts of C&C Logistics, and numerous grants.  Drivers can now rely on their mobile devices to track the donations they receive and deliver through the food bank’s food rescue program.  At the end of the day, all the information on each device can be uploaded and organized in a central database by customized software.  Forgotten Harvest’s mobile data tracking-system has cut out hundreds of hours once spent on manual data entry, granting Goodell and her staff the time to focus on other important projects.

Visit forgottenharvest.org to learn more about the Mobile Tracking System.