kinDrop

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Inspiration

We are inspired by helping our community using the tools available to us. A very important issue that is very dear to us is the lack of resources in shelter organizations such as orphanages. We wanted to contribute to a possible solution and when we realized that people are willing to donate but are prevented by constraints such as time and distance, we knew something could be done.

What it does

Our web-based application facilitates donations by using an orphanage's provided item list, which any potential donor can anonymously access and use. Our application allows orphanages to submit a request directly to us so that it can be reviewed and approved to add to the database of legitimate item lists.

How I built it

We simultaneously researched the integration of Google's Map Search API and the development of a webpage. We acquired a free domain provided by Domain.com and registered our project name. We designed a visual prototype of how we wanted the website to look and started creating it using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. After being familiar with the functionality of the API and having a strong foundation for the website, we started integrating the API into it. We then implemented the display of the URLs of the item lists on the map and the contact for the orphanages to submit.

Challenges I ran into

One of the most difficult challenges was our loss of time whilst attempting to integrate ArcGIS API using meteor. After we realized it was not the most convenient manner we decided to use pure JavaScript with GoogleMaps’s API. In addition to this, we had restriction issues when it came down to the configurations regarding hosting, the domain and certificates.

We also had a hard time defining out project scope. Since we could facilitate the donation process by users who lack the time to donate, we were left with a decision regarding who to concentrate on.

There were also contains with the API since the geolocation service requires an SSL certificate.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Firstly, we are proud of being able to help our community, we know that aid is constantly needed. If our website allows anyone to make a contribution, then we are already proud of our efforts. We are also proud of learning more about JavaScript, HMTL, and CSS, since most of the members of our team were not familiar with their usage. We are pleased with the look and feel of our website, especially the implementation of adaptive display on mobile. Not all of the members of our had the previous experience of attending a hackathon. We are proud that through planning and communication that changed.

What I learned

Hackathons are known for the under-pressure working environment. If one is familiar with these conditions, one is better prepared for challenges of any type. Not all of us were familiar with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This experience was the perfect opportunity to play around and learn more about these tools. We learned that in a project many things can be done, but not all at the same time. A scope has to be defined so that the project is doable and manageable.

What's next for KinDrop

Make approval of request more automatized. Make it scalable to other organizations such as homeless shelters or LGBTQ+ youth centers. Implement a database that keeps track of a shelter's resources, so people who mainly donate gently-used items can donate them to where they are the most needed in a certain radius. Make displayed links hyperlinks on mobile.

Built With

• bootstrap
• css3
• domain.com
• google-maps
• html5
• javascript