Chaitnya Final Cpe Report Final
Chaitnya Final Cpe Report Final
Table Of Contents:-
CHAPTER1
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
1.1 Introduction
In the modern age of innovation, technology has become a powerful enabler for solving
complex societal challenges. While we’ve witnessed breakthroughs in fields ranging from
healthcare to finance, one of the most fundamental issues—food insecurity—continues to affect
millions across the globe. Simultaneously, large quantities of edible food are discarded every day by
households, restaurants, and businesses due to lack of awareness, accessibility, or structured systems
for redistribution. This contradiction between excess and scarcity is not due to lack of resources, but
rather the absence of an efficient mechanism to connect those with surplus to those in need. There is
a growing recognition of the potential for digital platforms to serve as intermediaries in this process,
promoting sustainability, reducing waste, and fostering a sense of community responsibility. With
increasing internet penetration and Smartphone usage, there lies a great opportunity to develop a
solution that is not only scalable and cost-effective but also accessible to a wide range of users
regardless of their technical expertise.
In response to this pressing need, this project proposes the development of a full-fledged Food
Donation Application built using the MERN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, React.js, and Node.js).
The primary goal of this platform is to bridge the gap between food donors—such as individuals,
restaurants, and organizations—and recipients, including underprivileged individuals and NGOs,
through an intuitive and efficient interface. Beyond simple donation facilitation, the application is
designed with features that enhance user experience and operational transparency, including account
management, geo-location-based searching, real-time notifications, and administrative oversight. It
not only serves as a means to connect people but also acts as a catalyst for behavioural change,
encouraging users to take initiative in reducing food waste and supporting their communities. By
embedding social good into the fabric of modern web development practices, this project aims to
demonstrate how technology can be a powerful force in driving equitable food distribution and
creating a more compassionate society.
1.2 Background
National Family Health Surveys (NFHS) are been carried out since 1992-92. A total of 5
surveys have been carried out i.e.:1992-93, 1998-1999, 2005-06,2015-16, 2019-2021, The reports of
these surveys act as a main indicator of prevalence of malnutrition. These surveys were large scale
and provided data on indicators of malnutrition and the factors affecting it. The technical support is
provided by the international institute for population sciences Mumbai.
Following Surveys were carried out in 25,25,29,36,36 states and union territories respectively
from 1999-2021. All the surveys provided information on indicators and factors associated with
malnutrition. The latest survey was carried out in 2 phases due to covid-19 pandemic emergency.
Phases being 17June 2019- 30 January 2020 and 2 January –30 April 2021. The nutrition status data
of all five surveys show a decline in different forms of under nutrition. Even after the efforts and
positive changes within the nation, India still ranks more than its neighboring countries in the index of
– “Malnutrition and Death Rates For Children Under5.
India, despite being one of the largest producers of food in the world, faces the paradox
of widespread hunger and food wastage. To combat this, several food donation systems and
organizations have emerged, aiming to bridge the gap between surplus food and those in need. These
existing systems include NGOs, mobile apps, and government-backed initiatives. However, despite
their impact, there are limitations in terms of scalability, accessibility, and real-time coordination.
In today's environment, the system's requirements are met through websites that are slow to
access and provide little information about the service to the public. Since all transactions are handled
via intermediaries, there is no direct relationship between the donor and the receiver who comes from
an internet source. Another reason is that there is no active mobile application in place to help with the
process and make it more fruitful.
Food Rescue US
Leftover Swap is a Smartphone software that allows you to swap or give away your excess. The
App That Encourages People to Share Food and Minimize Waste. Users can use this app to take images
of their leftover food and share them with other users, who can subsequently claim and pick it up.
Food Connect was established in 2014 to answer the question of hunger and food management,
they started by collecting extra food from local restaurants and food merchants and delivering it to
neighborhood organizations in need. Megha Kulshreshtha's weekend passion project has grown into a
countrywide hunger relief logistical solution.
● Limited reach: Some food donation apps may only be available in certain regions or may only
partner with specific organizations, limiting their reach and impact.
● Lack of co ordination: Without a centralized system for coordinating
donations and deliveries, it can be challenging to ensure that food donations are being distributed in
the most efficient and effective way possible.
● Logistics: Coordinating the logistics of food donation can be complex, especially when it comes to
picking up and delivering perishable items.
● User engagement: Some food donation apps may struggle to engage users and encourage them to
continue using the app over time, which could limit its overall impact.
1.3 Aim
The primary aim of this project is to develop a user-friendly, efficient, and scalable Food Donation
Application using the MERN (Mongo DB, Express.js, React.js, Node.js) stack that connects food
donors with individuals or organizations in need. The application is designed to streamline the process
of food donation and request management by providing secure user authentication, real-time location-
based search capabilities, and instant notifications. It seeks to reduce food wastage and alleviate hunger
by creating a digital bridge between those with surplus food and those experiencing food insecurity.
Additionally, the platform empowers administrators to effectively manage users, monitor donations
and requests, and ensure transparency and accountability within the system, ultimately promoting a
culture of sharing, sustainability, and social welfare.
CHAPTER 2
Literature review
1] Varghese, Christina, et al., In this paper, the author focuses on creating an interesting mobile
application (app) called SeVa that provides a ubiquitous platform wherein users can visualize
available food resources in their local area and consequently gain access to food, thereby tackling two
major issues, i.e. hunger and food waste. This app is pertinent to the UN SDGs (United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals) and fits the general realm of AI for Smart Living in Smart Cities.
2] Jethwa, Divyesh, et al., The proposed system presents a new internet-based application that
provides a platform for donating leftover food to all needy people/organizations. The system is shown
to be an effective means of donating things to organizations, etc. over the internet. It shows the
potential for avoiding the wastage of food. It provides information about the motivation to come up
with such an application, thereby describing the existing donation system and how the product works
for the betterment of the society. This system will create a common collaboration portal for
hotels/restaurants and charities. Charity can directly contact restaurants who have food remaining and
report generation which will show how much food is donated by which restaurant and provide reward
points for them.
3] Komal Raut, et al. The paper “Food donation portal”, summarises in brief the evolution of food
donation activities and offers a medium that connects donors with NGOs. An idea for a food donation
network is presented and impact on society through this medium is mentioned. The disadvantage in
this paper is that there is no GPS service available. That means the system does not allow the
organization or charity to find the nearest donor available in the area and they have to manually find
the donors.
4] Dhruvi Shah, et al. The paper ‘Helping Hands’, a new internet-based application that provides a
platform for donating old stuff and leftover food to all needy people/organizations. It provides
information about the motivation to come up with such an application, thereby describing the existing
donation system and how the proposed product works for the betterment of society .The disadvantage
of this project is that there is no dashboard available that is, at the end of the month the system don’t
get all the records that how much is donated or received by the receiver
5] Hitesh Raut, et al. The paper ‘Beyond food sharing: Supporting food waste reduction With ICTs’,
guaranteeing food security is key in improving the quality of life of citizens at all levels of society.
The recent economic crisis has increased the number of people living in conditions of food poverty,
especially in developed regions. Despite a growing awareness of the importance of reducing waste
and managing food surplus, the role of ICTs in this domain is still unclear and rarely documented.
This paper describes the use of ICT tools to recover food surplus at different stages of the supply
chain and also describes the way forward for an integrated set of ICT tools to reduce waste from
producers to households.
6] Issac Nuamah, The paper “ Food donations using a forecasting-simulation model’, presents a
methodology to estimate donations for non-profit hungerrelief organizations. These organizations are
committed to alleviating hunger around the world and depend mainly on the benevolence of donors to
achieve their goals. However, the quantity and frequency of donations they receive varies
considerably over time which presents a challenge in their fight to end hunger. A simulation model is
developed to determine the expected quantity of food donations received per month in a
multiwarehouse distribution network. The simulation model is based on a state-space model for
exponential smoothing. A numerical study is performed using data from a non-profit hunger relief
organization. The results show that good estimation accuracies can be achieved with this approach.
Furthermore, non-profit hunger relief organizations can use the approach discussed in this paper to
predict donations for proactive planning.
7] Aaron Ciaght, et al. The Paper ‘Smartphone Based Waste Food Supply Chain For Aurangabad
City Using GIS Location Based And Google Web Services’, describes the client-server GIS and
Smartphone application for the hunger free city. At the client side App provides a facility to donate
food to the charity for the help of hungry people. Donors enter basic information like latitude and long
quantity of waste food and type of waste along with value and contact number. Charities can pick up
that waste food and deliver food to hunger. Completion of registration will be placed onto a server
database where charities can store the entries of donors in table format and show the optimal path
between donor locations to nearest charity along with direction. So wastage food can easily be
delivered to hungry people within a time.
8] Amir Saxena. et al., The paper ‘Development of a Sustainable Food Supply Chain by Post Harvest
Program’ introduces The Post Harvest Project (PHP), which is a group of committed technology and
capital partners dedicated to delivering technological solutions to food waste in the supply chain. Of
the many technological solutions being pursued by PHP, an innovative food preservation technology
called nanoICE is described in detail. An effort is underway in Ghana to build a series of small
community food process plants based on improved cold storage on fishing boats and onshore facilities
for preserving fish, which is an important source of protein. The aim of PHP's effort in Ghana is to
engage local communities to feed people and create opportunities, and improve health through good
nutrition.
9]Mathur, et al., An Android mobile programme called "Aahar - Food Donation App", released in
June-2021, offers a venue for food donations over the web. As Well As not only food but also other
items like clothing, literature, kitchenware, and so forth were given for this application. It includes
three distinct components, namely User Module, NGO module and Admin Module. After
successfully logging in, users can donate food by providing information such as the type of food, the
address, cooking time and date, and the availability of the donor. They are able to submit the inquiry,
and in the NGO's module, those specific offering details will be stated. The NGO's will then collect
that food by selecting the pickup time and date; if they do not wish to receive the food, they can
simply refuse and quit. Other than food, everything else is packaged as a present before being given.
On Android Studio, this programme was created via Java and XML.
10] Kumar, S., et al., A new android mobile application that uses IOT devices for food quality
verification is called "Zero Hunger: Smart Food Donation System using IoT", a study released in
May 2021. Here, there are two Modules. One is the User module, and the other one is the NGO
module. Here, after successfully logging in, the user donates food with the necessary information,
including the type of food, how much is being donated, and the recipient's location. The specifics of
the contribution can be viewed by NGOs, who can then designate a specific volunteer to pick up the
food via a map link, inspectthe food using smart devices in order to ensure it is in good condition,
and disperse it to slum areas.
The problem this project seeks to address is the lack of an efficient, real-time, and accessible
system for managing food donations and redistributions, which leads to significant food wastage
despite the ongoing issue of hunger in many communities. There is no centralized platform that
seamlessly connects individuals or organizations with surplus food to those in immediate need,
resulting in missed opportunities for food recovery and support. Existing manual or fragmented efforts
often suffer from poor coordination, limited communication, and logistical challenges. Therefore, there
is a need for a technologically-driven solution that simplifies the process of donating and requesting
food, facilitates location-based matching, and enables effective monitoring and management through a
user-friendly interface—ultimately aiming to reduce food waste and promote community welfare.
● User Authentication: Defining the requirements for user sign-up, login, and account
management (e.g., secure password storage, password recovery).
● Donation Management: Specifying how donors will post donations, including data
fields, workflow for scheduling pickups, and any necessary communication features.
● Request Management: Detailing how recipients will submit requests, including data
fields, search/filtering options, and notification preferences.
● Notification System: Specifying the types of notifications required (e.g., new donation
alerts, request updates), the delivery methods (e.g., email, in-app), and user preferences
for notifications.
● Admin Panel Functionality: Detailing what actions the admin can take.
○ Defining the data fields required for users, donations, and requests (e.g., data types, validation
rules).
○ Defining the key screens and user flows for the mobile application.
○ Ensuring the UI is consistent with the application's purpose and target audience.
● Non-Functional Requirements:
CHAPTER 3
Proposed detailed methodology
The proposed Food Donation App system will begin with a secure user authentication module
allowing users to sign up, log in, and manage their accounts. Once logged in, users can access the
Donation System to donate food by entering details like food type, quantity, and pickup location.
Simultaneously, a Request System will allow users in need to search and request food donations
based on location and food type. A Location-Based Search feature will enable users to easily find
nearby donations or requests using geo location filters. All activities will be monitored and
managed through an Admin Panel, where administrators can oversee users, donations, and requests.
To enhance user engagement, a Notification System will send real-time alerts about new donations
or requests matching user interests or proximity. The entire system will be built using the MERN
stack, ensuring a fast, scalable, and efficient platform. The purpose of the system is to connect food
donors and recipients through a location-based platform to reduce food wastage and support those
in need.
3.3 ER DIAGRAM
CHAPTER 4
API DESIGN
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENT
1) MERN Stack
2) VSCode
4.1 Mern Stack
The MERN stack is a popular full-stack JavaScript framework used for building dynamic
and scalable web applications. It consists of four key technologies: Mongo DB, Express.js,
React.js, and Node.js, each playing a crucial role in the development process.
Mongo DB is a NoSQL database that stores data in flexible, JSON-like documents, making
it efficient for handling large volumes of unstructured data. Express.js is a lightweight web
framework for Node.js that simplifies server-side development by providing robust features for
handling routes, requests, and middleware. React.js is a front-end library developed by Face book
that enables developers to create interactive and responsive user interfaces using a component-
based architecture. Finally, Node.js is a runtime environment that allows JavaScript to be executed
on the server side, enabling seamless communication between the front end and back end. The
GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC WASHIM Page 17
SEVA THE FOOD DONATION SYSTEM 2024-2025
Applications:
1. E-Commerce Platforms.
2. Social Media Applications
3. Learning Management Systems(LMS)
4. Content Management Systems(CMS)
5. Project Management Tools
Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, is a powerful, open-source code editor
developed by Microsoft that has gained widespread popularity among developers due to its
versatility, speed, and extensive features. Designed to support development across multiple
programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, C++, Java, and many more, VS Code offers a
lightweight yet highly customizable environment that enhances developer productivity.
One of its most notable features is IntelliSense, which provides smart code
completions, syntax highlighting, and error detection, making the coding process faster and
more efficient. Additionally, VS Code supports integrated Git version control, allowing
developers to manage repositories, commit changes, and push updates without leaving the
editor. The editor also includes a built-in terminal and debugging tools, making it easier for
developers to write, run, and debug code within a single interface. Its vast marketplace of
extensions further enables users to install tools for frameworks, linters, themes, and integrations
with services like Docker, GitHub, and databases. For web and full-stack developers, VS Code
is especially valuable as it provides strong support for front-end and back-end technologies,
including HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node.js, and React. With regular updates and a large
community of users, Visual Studio Code has become a go-to development platform for both
beginners and professionals, supporting a wide range of applications from small scripts to large-
scale software systems.
CHAPTER 5
IMPLEMENTATION AND WORKING
This figure illustrates the application's login screen, which serves as the entry point for all
users, regardless of whether they intend to donate food or request it. The single set of email and
password fields allows both donors and receivers to input their registered credentials. Upon
successful login, the application's backend will authenticate the user and, based on their profile and
role defined during registration, redirect them to the appropriate section of the application.
The Create Account feature in the Food Donation System allows users to register by
entering their name, email, password, and selecting a role—Volunteer, NGO, or Admin. The form
validates all inputs, ensuring the passwords match and a role is selected. Upon submission, the
backend securely hashes the password, checks for email uniqueness, and stores the user with their
assigned role. Once registered, users are redirected to their respective dashboards, where
Volunteers can view and fulfill donation tasks, NGOs can manage food listings, and Admins can
oversee platform operations and user management.
The Volunteer Dashboard in the Food Donation System offers a user-friendly and
interactive space for volunteers to manage and contribute to food distribution efforts. It displays
key metrics such as the number of available donations, completed pickups, scheduled pickups, and
the total food saved, giving volunteers a quick overview of their impact. Users can easily search for
nearby food donations, donate excess food, or place requests through dedicated buttons. Each
donation card provides essential information like food description, quantity, expiry date, and
current status to help volunteers make informed decisions. Additionally, the Donation Requests
section shows incoming needs with priority levels, required quantities, and deadlines, ensuring
timely response to urgent needs.
. The Recent Activity panel keeps track of volunteer actions, promoting transparency and engagement.
This dashboard empowers volunteers to take real-time action and be a vital part of the food-saving
movement.
Step4:Developing theNGOPanel
The NGO Dashboard allows registered NGOs to manage food donations and handle
incoming requests effectively. At the top, users can search donations using keywords like title,
description, status, or location, making it easy to find specific entries. The left section, titled
Available Donations, lists all food items the NGO has added, showing details like the food name,
description, quantity, expiry date, creation date, and location. Each donation also has a status
indicator like "Assigned" and includes donor information.
NGOs can create new food donations using the + Create New Donation button,
streamlining the process of sharing excess food. On the right side, the Donation Requests panel
displays incoming requests from volunteers or beneficiaries. Each request card includes the item
name, quantity needed, priority level, deadline (required by), and the number of beneficiaries.
NGOs can either Accept or Reject these requests directly from the dashboard, helping them
prioritize based on urgency and availability.
This dashboard centralizes all donation activities for NGOs, making it easy to track
contributions, respond to community needs, and ensure food is distributed efficiently and
effectively.
This is a single food request submission screen displayed across two screenshots, where
a user (volunteer or NGO) fills out a detailed form to request food donations. The form begins
with fields like Request Title, Food Type Needed, Required Quantity (with units), Required By
Date, Description, and Delivery Address to specify the basic details of the food requirement.
Continuing on the same screen, the user also provides additional information such as the Number
of Beneficiaries, Urgency Level, any Dietary Restrictions, Organization Name (if applicable), and
Contact Details including the name and phone number of the contact person. Once all the
necessary information is filled out, the user can click the Submit Request button to send the
request, enabling the system to process and match the need with available donations effectively.
This screenshot showcases the Admin Dashboard of the food donation platform,
providing a centralized overview for administrators to manage and monitor platform activity. At
the top, there are navigation tabs for switching between Overview, Users, Donations, and
Requests sections. On the left side, under Statistics, it displays summary metrics such as the total
number of users (4), volunteers (2), NGOs (1), donations made (7), and requests submitted (7).
On the right side, the Recent Activity section lists the latest actions on the platform—primarily
food-related requests or donations—with corresponding timestamps (e.g., "19/4/2025"). There's
also a search bar in the top right corner allowing the admin to quickly find specific entries by
name, email, or title, and a Logout button to securely exit the dashboard. This interface helps the
admin maintain oversight and efficiently track user engagement and platform operations.
Fig: The Admin Dashboard displaying a list of users with their roles and status, along
with options to manage them
This interface allows administrators to effectively manage user accounts, monitor their roles,
and take necessary actions like suspending access if required.
Fig: The "Donations" section of the Admin Dashboard displaying submitted food
donations and their statuses, with options for admin action
This figure shows the "Donations" tab within the Admin Dashboard. It presents a list of
food donations that have been submitted through the application. This interface allows
administrators to oversee the flow of food donations, potentially verify their details, and take
appropriate actions to either accept them into the system for distribution or reject them if
necessary.
GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC WASHIM Page 30
SEVA THE FOOD DONATION SYSTEM 2024-2025
Fig 7: The "Requests" section of the Admin Dashboard displaying submitted food
requests with their statuses and admin control options
This figure illustrates the "Requests" tab within the Admin Dashboard, where
administrators can manage incoming food requests. Each request is displayed with a brief
description (e.g., "rice", "bhaji poli", "Veg"), its creation date ("Created 3/15/2025"), and its current
status ("matched", "pending", "fulfilled"). Administrators are provided with options to take action
on these requests, such as "Approve" or "Reject". For a "pending" request like "bhaji poli",
there'salso an "Approve" button, suggesting that the admin can review and approve requests. The
"Veg" request is marked as "fulfilled", indicating that it has been successfully addressed. This
section of the admin panel is crucial for overseeing the demand for food, managing the matching
process with available donations, and ensuring that requests are appropriately handled and fulfilled.
CHAPTER 6
Conclusion
The development of this Food Donation App using the MERN stack represents a meaningful
step toward leveraging technology for social impact, particularly in addressing the dual issues of food
wastage and hunger. By providing a structured digital platform that encourages community
participation, the system promotes a culture of generosity and responsible consumption. The integration
of modern web technologies ensures scalability, responsiveness, and user-friendliness, making it
accessible to a wide demographic.
The inclusion of features like location-based search, real-time notifications, and an admin
management panel adds layers of efficiency, security, and transparency, all of which are essential for
building trust and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the platform. More than just an app, this
system serves as a bridge between those with resources to share and those in need, fostering stronger
community ties and a more equitable distribution of food. As it evolves, this platform has the potential
to expand its reach, incorporate logistic partnerships, and integrate with NGOs and governmental
bodies, ultimately becoming a central hub for food redistribution initiatives on a larger scale.
● Future Enhancements
In the future, this Food Donation App can be enhanced with advanced features to increase its
impact and usability on a larger scale. Integration with GPS and real-time tracking systems can
enable users to monitor the status and estimated arrival time of pickups, improving logistics and
reliability. The platform can also be expanded to support multi-language functionality, making it
accessible to a broader user base across different regions.
CHAPTER 7
References
[1] Varghese, Christina, Drashti Pathak, and Aparna S. Varde. "SeVa: A food donation app for
smart living." In 2021 IEEE 11th Annual Computing and Communication Workshop and
Conference (CCWC), pp. 0408-0413. IEEE, 2021.
[2] Jethwa, Divyesh, Ayushi Agrawal, Rohan Kulkarni, and Leena Raut. "Food wastage
reduction through donation." International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering and Research
4, no. 03 (2020): 2455-1457.
[3] Komal Raut, Nimesh Shah, Akash Thorat, “ Food donation portal” International Journal of
Research in Engineering and Technology (2022).
[4] Dhruvi Shah, Adnan Ansari, Ruchi Sharma,“ Helping Hands” International Journal of
Research in Engineering and Technology (2021).
[5] Hitesh Raut, Swapnil Rajput, DanjhanNalavade, “Smartphone based food supply chain for
Aurangabad city using GIS location based and google web services” International Journal of
Research in Engineering and Technology (2022).
[6] Issac Nuamah, Lauren Davis, Steven Jiang, “ Predicting donations of forecasting
simulationmodel”In2024wintersimulationconference(WSC),pp. 1880-1891. IEEE, 2024.
[7] Aaron Ciaght, Adolfo Villafiorita,“ Beyond food sharing: Supporting food wastage
reduction using ICT” In 2021 IEEE International Smart Cities Conference (ISC2), pp. 1-6. IEEE,
2021.