As developers, we like to use our powers for good. That’s why Detroit Labs creates at least one app for a cause per year, pro bono. Past apps have been built around the Detroit Police Department and a hackathon for Detroit Open Data. When we learned about the Flint water crisis and the severity to which its residents were affected, we wanted to help. Here’s how Ken Luk, Brandy Foster, Dan Newport, Nate Walczak, and I got involved in Detroit Labs’ App for a Cause, and how you can help out.
Ferndale to Flint
My friend Liz is a volunteer for a group called From Ferndale to Flint. Through her experience, she noticed that while there are a lot of willing and helpful people, communication between the groups is disjointed. Some people have specific needs but are having trouble finding the right group to help, or there are similar groups that could join forces but don’t know about each other. In general, the groups help Flint area residents find volunteers who provide the following:
- Clean water in bottles and jugs
- Baby supplies such as wipes, clean clothing, bottle cleaning, anything that requires water
- Water testing kits
- Water filters
- Recycling
FlintWaterRescue.org
To start, we built a website that shows a map of Flint with the clean water services available to its residents. Users are able to filter the map by zip code and by needed service to find volunteers and supplies closest to them.
For those looking to help, there is a section specifically for volunteers and a section for donations, detailing what is needed for both.
Nuts and Bolts
Ultimately, we wanted to make it easy for someone to submit a new location for water drop-offs or supply deliveries, and we also wanted to simplify any volunteer data entry that would be needed.
Instead of creating a complex backend, we used a Google sheet that has shared access so we can drive the website and the apps off of the same data in real time. Any forms for volunteers go through Google forms and are added to a Google sheet so they can be easily consumed by the volunteer organizations.
The purpose of the website, even though it is mobile-friendly, is to provide any information possible to those who want to donate, volunteer, or find out information about health services, mental health services, and supplies in one central area.
Android and iPhone Apps on Their Way!
For the mobile apps, we want to provide more focus to serve those most affected by the crisis: the citizens of Flint. We designed and built the app experience for those who need supplies and services the most while on the go. Users are geolocated and will be able to find the services that they need in the most convenient location.
Stay tuned for the next few weeks as we release these apps. In the meantime, please check out FlintWaterRescue.org if you are interested in volunteering or in need of supplies or services.
Chris Trevarthen is an iOS developer at Detroit Labs. He shares his love of software craftsmanship with conference talks about test-driven development and team dynamics. Chris enjoys running marathons, his beer in a glass and his music on a turntable.
