Follow us for updates
© 2022 reportr.world
Read the Story →

This Website Helps You Find the Nearest Community Pantry

"Saan may community pantry?"
by Clara Rosales
Apr 19, 2021
Photo/s: Community Pantry PH Facebook page
Shares

As more community pantries pop up all over the country, more people are searching for the nearest one to either get a little help or drop off supplies that could benefit someone who needs it more. How exactly do you find a pantry in your area?

Following Ana Patricia Non's viral bamboo cart in Maginhawa Street, social media was flooded with localized efforts and civil servant Sandra Tabinas from Quezon City saw a need for information surrounding community pantries, such as location, contact details, and mapping. Saan May Community Pantry? was born.

MORE ON COMMUNITY PANTRIES:

Community Pantry: Davao City Inmates Donate Crackers, Coffee

Maginhawa's Free Pantry Gets Kamote From Tarlac Farmers With Love

Free Food, Essentials Flow From Community Pantry in Quezon City

"The map actually started as a crowdsourcing platform to map available delivery services during last year's [enhanced community quarantine]. I thought of repurposing the web app into a crowdmapping platform for [community pantries]," Tabinas said.

Continue reading below ↓

Apart from helping those in need find a community pantry, she also hoped to aid three other types of people; those looking to donate, those seeking help or more supplies for their community pantry, and those who want to set up their own but want to avoid redundancy as there may be a pantry near them they can collaborate with instead.

ALSO READ:

Make Kindness Viral: How to Set Up a Community Pantry

Continue reading below ↓
Recommended Videos

How it works

According to Tabinas, anyone who wants to see the information and location of the community pantries may click on the pin on the map, or zoom in on the map to do so.

The site is equipped with a data capture function that allows users to plot their own community pantry on the map. They can pin their location and submit supporting information such as contact details, needed supplies, and opening hours on the map's automated form.

Saan May Community Pantry website
Continue reading below ↓

"If they find it difficult to pin their locations on the map, we also have a Google Form wherein they can submit these information, then our team will just input it on the map with the pinned location," Tabinas said.

Team effort

Community members contribute to the wealth of information available on the site. On the backend, a team of volunteers works to make sure the site is up and running whenever someone needs it.

Mappers and geographers collaborated on the project, with Tabinas working on the map and technical aspects.

Mikko Tamura, David Garcia, and professor Ony Martinez also coordinate with other volunteers from MapBeks, Mental Health AWHEREness, UPD Geography Department, and the PH Mapping Community.

Continue reading below ↓

Garcia and Tabinas handle social media posts and informing more people about the map.

"We've also connected with Mr. Kevin Gepaya and the Community Pantry PH Facebook group for existing information on Community Pantries in the country," Tabinas explained.

What's next?

The 31-year-old actually has a day job as an officer in charge for an ICT Management Service Division in the Department of Social Work and Development. When she's not engrossed in her full-time job, she's working on the map alongside other volunteers who also have their own thing going on.

It's been less than a week of community pantries, but Tabinas and the rest of the team are committed to improving the map in the coming days and weeks.

"We plan on training volunteers who can take over the project, or work on the project with me," she said. Details are still being finalized, but the team plans on launching online training to teach volunteers how to use the map, how to add pins on the map, and how to submit other relevant information.

Continue reading below ↓

Visit the Saan May Community Pantry website and Saan Yan PH for more information.

Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app on iOS and Android or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.

Latest Headlines
Read Next
Recent News
Faster travel times to and from Taguig, Pasay, and Parañaque.
With the reopening of several local destinations, this app has never been more timely.
Millennial mayor says to limit attendance in events.
Rising from the ashes of the Pinatubo eruption.
J&J will focus on cornstarch-based products.
The news. So what? Subscribe to the newsletter that explains what the news means for you.
The email address you entered is invalid.
Thank you for signing up to On Three, reportr's weekly newsletter delivered to your mailbox three times a week. Only the latest, most useful and most insightful reads.
By signing up to reportr.world newsletter, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.