Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Scheduling Food Bank Collections And Deliveries To Ensure Food Safety And Improve Access, Lauren Davis, Irem Sengul, Julie Ivy, Luther Brock, Lastella Miles

Dr. Lauren B Davis

Food banks are privately-owned non-profit organizations responsible for the receipt, processing, storage, and distribution of food items to charitable agencies. These charitable agencies in turn distribute food to individuals at risk of hunger. Food banks receive donated food from national and local sources, such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and supermarkets. Local sources with frequent high-volume donations justify the use of food bank vehicles for collection. Food bank vehicles are also used to deliver food to rural charitable agencies that are located beyond a distance safe for perishable food to travel without spoilage. Due to limited funds, food …