DD: A Food Donation and Delivery Platform for Reducing Waste and Fighting Hunger

In the context of well-being at the community level and smart technology, hunger and food waste are two interrelated but conflicting global challenges. While numerous online platforms make it convenient to order commercial food delivery, there is a lack of systems that can support excess food redistribution to vulnerable groups. This paper presents DD Connect, a modular and scalable full-stack web app that aims at solving this humanitarian and environmental problem. The platform provides an effective interface for food receivers and donors alike, coupled with a dynamic reward points mechanism for repeat contribution. The "pay-what-you-can" approach of DD Connect is a key differentiator that allows users to obtain donated food by contributing any value, thus making it affordable without loss of dignity. The backend is driven by Node.js and Express.js with MongoDB, while the frontend is driven by React.js for ease and responsiveness. An admin panel makes effective management of food postings, orders, and donations possible. The system also ensures social relevance and transparency through real-life donation videos uploaded on a related YouTube channel. We present the architectural design, system workflow, and potential societal benefit of DD Connect as a scalable and implementable solution towards hunger relief and food sustainability.