Project Vendigo
Sharing Food, Caring for Communities
What is Project Vendigo?
Project Vendigo is a non-profit initiative dedicated to enhancing community access to essential goods and services through innovative vending machine solutions. Our mission is to provide convenient, reliable, and equitable access to items such as healthy snacks, hygiene products, and other necessities, particularly in underserved areas.
Mission Statement
We believe in Art of giving and our mission is to provide access to healthy food for people in need through innovative vending machine solutions, creating a equitable community for all.
Project Overview
Problem:
People in need often rely on others to distribute essential goods and services, which can be a complicated and challenging process that isn’t always available 24/7. This leaves them without access to necessary items when distribution is not taking place.
Solution:
Install vending machines that dispense low-cost or free essential goods and services for people in need. These machines can be stocked with donated items such as healthy snacks, hygiene products, and other necessities. This approach makes the process simple, sustainable, and accessible around the clock.
Challenges:
Providing free goods and services via vending machines without appropriate safeguards can lead to misuse. Therefore, measures should be taken to ensure that the vending machines are tailored to serve those genuinely in need. Determining the optimal locations for these vending machines is another significant challenge, as they need to be placed in areas where they are most accessible to the intended beneficiaries.
Benefits:
- Accessibility: Vending machines provide 24/7 access to essential items, eliminating the limitations of manual distribution schedules.
- Simplicity and Sustainability: Donated goods can be easily used to refill these machines, creating a straightforward and continuous supply chain.
- Community Involvement: Vending machines make it easier for people to donate essential items, encouraging community support and engagement.
- Equitable Access: Ensuring that necessary goods and services are available to everyone, especially in underserved areas, promotes equity and well-being.
Conclusion:
This innovative approach has the potential to significantly impact the accessibility of essential goods and services for people in need, including the homeless. By focusing on the benefits and proactively addressing the challenges, Project Vendigo can effectively communicate this idea to others and gain the support necessary for its successful implementation. Through these efforts, we can enhance community access to essential goods and services, providing a reliable and equitable solution for those in need.
How it Works
Project Idea: Vending Machines for Communities in Need in the Los Angeles Region
Introduction: The project aims to provide access to essential goods and services for communities in need in Los Angeles through the installation of innovative vending machines. This initiative is necessary because a significant percentage of the population in LAUSD lives at or below the poverty line, with one of the highest concentrations of low-income students in the state. Additionally, the point-in-time count conducted in February 2021 estimated that over 69,000 people were experiencing homelessness in LA County, with a 4.1% increase from 2020. By offering items such as healthy snacks, hygiene products, and other necessities, these vending machines will help bridge the gap in accessibility and support the well-being of underserved communities.
Objectives:
- To install vending machines in schools and communities where students and residents can access healthy snacks, drinks, hygiene products, and other essential items.
- To work with non-profit organizations to identify the best locations for installing the vending machines, ensuring they reach the most underserved areas.
- To ensure that the vending machines are easy to use and accessible to those who need them, providing a seamless experience for accessing essential goods and services.
Methodology:
Research:
Project Vendigo started as a research initiative to identify if vending machines can be a real solution for people needing 24/7 access to essential goods and services. After gaining some confidence, the research focused on vending machine vendors and the types of vending machines available to be customized for people in need of constant access to essential items.
Non-Profit Collaboration:
Collaboration with non-profit organizations, especially WISH (Welcoming Interim Shared Housing), which work with communities seeking food and shelter, was a game changer. Brainstorming sessions with WISH to expand the idea of Project Vendigo resulted in identifying the right locations where vending machines can be installed for people to access essential goods and services.
Location Selection:
Location selection is key to the success of Project Vendigo. The team closely worked with non-profits and reached out to community leaders to identify the best locations for installing the vending machines. After many rounds of discussions about the selection of goods, accessibility, and method of operation, the very first vending machine was humbly unveiled at Audubon Middle School. Installation in other locations is a work in progress.
Funding:
Sustainability of the project was also well-researched. While donations are the backbone of success, Project Vendigo is also looking to enable the success of this project by installing for-profit vending machines that can sustain the non-profit vending machines installed in communities that need them the most. This way, the for-profit vending machines can cover the costs for the free/non-profit vending machines.
Access Control:
The project will ensure the vending machines are accessed in a controlled way. For now, the installed vending machines leverage tokens distributed to community members in need. The machines are customized with guard rails and access controls to prevent misuse. It is a learning process.
Compliance:
The project will ensure that the items offered in the vending machines strictly comply with relevant policies, such as the LAUSD’s food policy for healthy food options.
Expected Outcomes:
- Increased 24/7 access to essential goods and services for low-income and underserved communities.
- Improved health and well-being outcomes for students and community members through access to necessary items.
- Increased community involvement in addressing the issue of resource insecurity.
- Enhanced collaboration between non-profit organizations, schools, and community members in addressing issues related to access to essential goods and services.
Conclusion:
This project aims to address the issue of resource insecurity among low-income and homeless people in LAUSD. By installing vending machines in areas where there is a severe need for essential goods and services, the project will provide access to items such as healthy snacks, drinks, hygiene products, and other necessities to those who need them the most. The project will work with non-profit organizations, schools, and community members to identify the best locations for installing the vending machines and ensure that the items offered in the vending machines comply with relevant policies, such as the LAUSD’s food policy for healthy options. The project will improve the health and well-being outcomes of low-income students and community members and increase community involvement in addressing the issue of resource insecurity.
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