Feeding America says 10 percent of families in Collier County experience food insecurity. The problem strikes those living below the poverty line and working families in the generally wealthy area. FGCU’s Thomas Felke created an interactive map of Collier County on the Meals of Hope Food Pantry website to enable families to easily find available food nearby.

“A lot of people don’t know what exists in their community,” Felke says. The map details where the closest open food pantries are to users in real-time. It also collects user data to help decisionmakers strategically place new food pantries where they are needed most. Felke hopes to expand the map across southwest Florida.