The Assessment, Solutions, Implementation (ASI) Student Consulting Group has been given an opportunity to make a long-term impact on the lives of thousands of people who need food in Allegan County. The Food Provider Collaborative of Allegan County, an organization convened and funded by the Allegan County Community Foundation, has seen a 30% increase in requests for food, a level of need which far exceeds the capacity of existing food pantries. They have turned to ASI for help. ASI team leaders Jake Rollenhagen and Maria Kotman are moved by the need in Allegan County. In their project proposal, Jake, Maria and project advisor Virgil Gulker observed, "These are challenging times. When the economy gets a cold, the poor catch pneumonia." Working in concert with a support team of professional advisors from the Holland and Hope communities, ASI will conduct an audit of the food distribution network with a primary focus on the six factors cited by food providers: transportation, logistics, networking, media and communications, fundraising, and technology. Students will conduct marketing surveys and interviews, explore food distribution networks in other communities, and research and identify best practices. Based on this audit, ASI will provide specific recommendations to help food providers distribute food more efficiently and effectively now and in the future to those in need in Allegan County. "We see this as a remarkable privilege--the opportunity to serve those who serve the poor," observed Jake.
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