Goodwill Hunting

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  Landing Page

Inspiration

We set out to make donating feel as engaging as the apps people love. Static forms don’t create momentum, so we built a live, location‑based experience where generosity earns crowns, streaks build habits, and urgent needs surface in real time.

What it does

• Live map of neighborhood “gyms” (donation hubs) with dynamic leadership
  
• Quick donations with instant points, streaks, and leaderboards
  
• Urgent‑need bonuses for items like Winter Coats and Baby Formula
  
• AI notifications (Google ADK/Gemini) that celebrate milestones and nudge action
  
• Transparent impact: see where help is needed now—and who’s leading

How we built it

• Frontend: Streamlit dashboard (fast_dashboard.py) for map, donations, leaderboards
  
• Backend: FastAPI (fast_backend.py) for /donate, /storages, /leaderboard, /health
  
• Data: SQLite (database.py) with users, storages, donations, missing items, gym leadership
  
• AI Agent: Google ADK + Gemini (notification_agent.py) for contextual messages
  
• Performance: connection pooling, lightweight caching, targeted cache invalidation
  
• One‑command launch: fast_launch.py boots backend + dashboard with health checks

Challenges we ran into

• Real‑time leadership switching after donations (fixed with post‑donation recompute + cache clear)
  
• Streamlit port conflicts on Windows; added safe cleanup and configurable ports
  
• Balancing cache speed with freshness for map and gym status
  
• SQLite concurrency under rapid donations; mitigated via pooled connections and short transactions
  
• Secure, reliable ADK integration using .env and GOOGLE_API_KEY

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Crowns reflect donations within seconds
  
• Clean, intuitive UI that shows impact at a glance
  
• AI‑powered notifications that feel encouraging, not generic
  
• Zero‑ops local setup—run everything with a single command

What we learned

• Streamlit + FastAPI can deliver production‑feeling interactivity quickly
  
• Immediate feedback loops (crowns, streaks, AI toasts) drive repeat engagement
  
• Simple SQL aggregates can power compelling game mechanics when modeled well
  
• Small, explicit caches outperform heavy layers for real‑time dashboards

What's next for Goodwill Hunting

• Team challenges, neighborhood events, and donor quests
  
• SMS/push alerts for critical shortages and streak reminders
  
• Exportable impact reports for charities and donors
  
• Optional cloud database + geofencing for city‑scale pilots
  
• Accessibility, mobile‑first layout, and internationalization

Built With

• adk
• fastapi
• gemini
• python
• sql
• sqlite
• streamlit