LibreFoodPantry

One thing I found interesting and surprising from the LibreFoodPantry website was the open source license that the pantry chose for contributors. 

I chose to write about this because last fall we had learned about software licenses, including what they are and examples of different ones, and it’s interesting to actually see what a real open source project chose to distribute under. Just looking at the license can tell how the authors intend for their software to be used and distributed, and because LibreFoodPantry chose the creative commons license, it tells us that they want this software to be open and shared freely, under that condition that the derivative works also follow the same conditions.

Thea’s Food Pantry

Simply by clicking on the link to the Thea’s Pantry gitlab page, I could tell that it was very organized and structured in a way to easily navigate, which is very useful and surprised me in a good way.

Since I am going to be using this gitlab page for the whole semester, I really appreciate that it is organized the way it is. Everything is labeled correctly and under the proper subgroups. Each subgroup also has a brief but detailed description about what is stored in it, making it easier to find the correct file quicker. All of these features make life a lot easier when navigating through this gitlab page. I couldn’t imagine trying to work on the same project with an unorganized mess of a gitlab page. It’s really something that I think gets taken for granted when it’s present but extremely noticeable when it’s lacking.

From the blog CS@Worcester – The Science of Computation by Adam Jacher and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In today’s digital world, even food pantries are using technology to make a bigger impact. Two examples of this innovative approach are LibreFoodPantry and Thea’s Pantry. This is working in unique way to make food distribution more efficient and accessible, but  has its own twist on how to better serve those in need.

One thing that really caught my attention about LibreFoodPantry is how they use free and open-source software to support food pantries. What makes this so interesting is that food pantries typically operate on tight budgets, and paying for expensive software can be a huge strain. By using open-source software, LibreFoodPantry allows pantries to save money and focus more on helping people rather than dealing with costly tech tools. The software is easy to use, which means volunteers can spend more time providing food and less time trying to figure out complicated systems.

What makes this even better is the sense of community that LibreFoodPantry fosters. They encourage food pantries to work together and share ideas, which helps everyone improve. Volunteers and pantry staff can also get involved in shaping the software itself, making sure it fits the real needs of the people using it. This approach helps create a more connected and effective network of food pantries, which ultimately benefits those who rely on them.

On the other hand, Thea’s Pantry takes a slightly different but just as powerful approach. While Thea’s Pantry also provides food, what stood out to me is how they go beyond just feeding people. They offer additional support services like medical and educational resources, helping people address the many challenges they face, not just hunger. This holistic approach makes sure that individuals are supported in multiple areas of their lives, improving their overall well-being.

What I really love about Thea’s Pantry is how they look at the bigger picture. They understand that food insecurity is often linked to other problems like health issues or lack of access to education. By providing more than just food, they help people get back on their feet in a more comprehensive way.

Both LibreFoodPantry and Thea’s Pantry are doing incredible work, each in their own way. LibreFoodPantry uses technology to make food distribution easier and more efficient, while Thea’s Pantry offers a well-rounded approach that supports people in more areas of their lives. Together, they’re showing us new, more effective ways to help those in need.

From the blog Discoveries in CS world by mgl1990 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

For my Software Development Capstone, I will be working on the LibreFoodPantry, a Free Open Source Software project, and more specifically, the Worcester State University food pantry, Thea’s Pantry.

After reading through the LibreFoodPantry website I found it interesting how it mixes Free Open Source Software (FOSS) with a humanitarian project, as I think those two go well together naturally, both being non-profit and for a noble cause. But another part of the LibreFoodPantry program that it also works closely with college students in the computer science field. This is another way that the entire structure of the LibreFoodPantry helps, because it allows student to learn from real software that is used in the real world and gets them involved with humanitarian causes within their major.

Going further into the specific system I will be working on, I read about Thea’s Pantry. What I found to be the most interesting thing is how the whole project is organized. With a lot of different people working on the same software and making different changes and using it for different purposes, there can be a lot of things that then don’t work with each other or become incompatible or cause communication issues. The entire project is organized in a way to allow many different iterations to exist without coming into conflict and being adaptable.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Computer Science Blog by dzona1 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

In my research of the LibreFoodPantry and Thea’s Pantry, I encountered valuable insights that deepened my understanding of open-source projects and community-driven software development. Here are two specific takeaways that stood out to me:

From LibreFoodPantry

One aspect of LibreFoodPantry that I found particularly interesting was its Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct emphasizes creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all contributors, regardless of their background or experience level. It outlines expectations for respectful collaboration and provides clear guidelines for reporting and addressing violations.

I chose to write about this because it highlights the importance of fostering a positive and professional atmosphere in open-source communities. The Code of Conduct ensures that contributors feel safe and valued, which ultimately leads to more productive collaboration and better software outcomes. This focus on inclusivity and respect is something I plan to incorporate into any projects I work on in the future.

From Thea’s Pantry

In Thea’s Pantry, I found the User Stories to be particularly insightful and practical. These stories outline the real-world workflows of the intended users, such as staff, administrators, and guests, and guide the software’s design to meet their needs. For example, a staff member logging in to manage inventory or assist a guest is a well-documented process.

What stood out most is how the user stories emphasize accessibility and practicality. For instance, the process of logging donations or generating reports for external organizations like the Worcester County Food Bank showcases a thoughtful integration of functionality and ease of use.

I chose to write about this because it demonstrates the critical role user stories play in designing meaningful software. They provide developers with clear direction and ensure that the end product solves real-world problems. This approach aligns with my goals of creating impactful and user-friendly applications.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Software Dev Capstone by Jaylon Brodie and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

During this semester I’m taking my capstone in which we are working on a project for Thea’s Pantry. Before starting this project however, we had to take a look at what we would be doing a project on. This blog post is about some of the things that I found interesting and useful about the two pantries mentioned in the title.

The first thing I’m going to talk about is LibreFoodPantry. LibreFoodPantry is a community building free and open source software for food pantries. The website for this community contains six main sections that I read. These include their mission, values (such as Agile principles), code of conduct, licensing, acknowledgements, and coordinating committee. The section I found to be most interesting was the mission. They state “Our mission is to expand a community of students and faculty across multiple institutions who believe software can be used to help society. We strive to support local food pantries with quality, adaptable, free and open source software (FOSS) to help them serve their guests. Through learning opportunities within FOSS food pantry projects, we provide students with the perspective that computing can be used for social good.” I chose to talk about this because I think its really kind that an entire community has been developed and continues to work on projects for social good and to help others.

The second thing I’m going to talk about is Thea’s Pantry. Thea’s Pantry is Worcester State’s own personal food pantry. Within the README file of the Documentation repository, there are five main sections. These sections are User Stories, Architecture, Technology, Workflow, and Release Process. The section that I found to be most useful is the Architecture section. I found this section to be most useful because it describes the ReportingSystem and what the different subsections use for components and queues. On top of that, it shows the diagram for the ReportingSystem Standalone Integration Test which I think is helpful for anyone who wants to understand the architecture.

Overall, I’m really excited to start working on a project with Thea’s Pantry and I hope that I’m able to help make a difference.

From the blog CS@Worcester – One pixel at a time by gizmo10203 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Reading through the LibreFoodPantry website, it actually surprised me that when I looked through the Coordinating Committee section I saw that there were actually several other colleges that seem to be working on this project and possibly contributing to it. This to me gave a bit of a reality to the wider scope of the project, obviously the goal of this project is to reach as many people as possible with the help they need through FOSS projects and to help students see the positives of contributing projects such as these. For me this was just interesting to see the project already have a somewhat far-reaching impact.

From Thea’s Pantry I thought how openly transparent all the documentation would be and how thorough it is with every aspect of the software. Though the most interesting part for me was the ID-Scanner documentation. Seeing the UML charts outlining how it works was pretty interesting, as my part of the project with my group is working on Login and Authentication so this will potentially be valuable for getting it to work properly with other systems. But otherwise seeing the user stories was also very interesting as it seems like it will help immensely to write the code in the right direction.

From the blog CS@Worcester – aRomeoDev by aromeo4f978d012d4 and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.