Flower Empower - A Volunteer Management System

At Constructor Academy, we are passionate about real-world applications that make a difference, which is why our comprehensive Full-Stack Program equips students to tackle meaningful challenges. One standout project that showcases the skills and impact of our program is the Flower Empower Volunteer Management System. This project, developed by our talented students Emir Murati, Tim Groshaupt, Valdilene Siqueira, Josie Fessey, and Pooja Kumbhar, exemplifies how technology can be harnessed to support community-driven initiatives.

About Flower Empower

Flower Empower, a beloved charity based in Santa Barbara, has been spreading joy for over a decade by delivering leftover flowers to the sick, bereaved, and elderly. Every Saturday, volunteers gather to arrange these flowers into beautiful bouquets and deliver them to those in need. However, managing these volunteers has become a time-consuming task. With their current system, the charity’s trustees spend countless hours sending manual reminders, planning delivery routes, and logging volunteer hours.

The problem

The outdated database system at Flower Empower presents several challenges:

• Manual communication: Trustees send out email reminders manually every Friday night.
• Route planning: Drivers' routes are planned individually using Google Maps.
• Data management: Volunteer hours are recorded manually in Excel, making it hard to maintain accuracy and efficiency.

These manual processes not only consume valuable time but also limit the charity’s potential to grow and expand its services to more routes and cities.
 

Our solution: An innovative volunteer portal

Our students recognized these pain points and set out to develop an online volunteer portal to streamline Flower Empower’s operations. Here’s how their solution makes a difference:

• Automated volunteer scheduling: Volunteers can log into their accounts, select dates to volunteer, and receive instant email confirmations. This automation replaces the need for manual email reminders.
• Route optimization: Using the Geoapify API, the system automatically plans the best routes for drivers, optimizing travel time and efficiency.
• Task-specific instructions: Bouquet makers receive detailed floral arrangement instructions, ensuring consistency and quality.
• Self-service volunteer hours logging: Volunteers can log their own hours directly into the system, reducing administrative workload.
• This streamlined system not only cuts down the Friday preparation time but also allows Flower Empower to scale their operations effortlessly.

Technical features that make it happen

Our Full-Stack Program emphasizes hands-on experience with industry-leading tools and technologies. Here’s a glimpse into the tech stack that powered this impactful project:

• Frontend: React and JavaScript create a dynamic and intuitive user interface, ensuring volunteers can easily navigate the portal.
• Backend: Django and Python provide robust backend processing and integration with the database.
• Database: PostgreSQL offers reliable data management, ensuring all volunteer data is securely stored and easily accessible.
• Hosting and version control: Docker containerizes the application for scalable deployment, DigitalOcean provides reliable hosting, and GitLab supports efficient version control and collaboration.
• Geoapify API: This powerful tool takes the guesswork out of route planning by using real-time data to find optimal delivery paths.

 

Looking to the future

The Flower Empower Volunteer Management System is designed with scalability and future enhancements in mind. Here’s what the team envisions for future development:

• Interactive map features: Enabling drivers to download routes and use them directly during deliveries, plus a comprehensive route overview for staff.
• Automated maintenance: Automatically removing volunteers or recipients who haven’t been active for over a year.
• Streamlined flower pickup: Creating an online database of flower growers to facilitate easier coordination.
• Delivery instructions and preferences: Allowing recipients to specify delivery times and special instructions.
• Advanced data analysis: Leveraging AI for more sophisticated analysis of volunteer and delivery data.
• Multilingual support: Adding Spanish language options to better serve the diverse community of Santa Barbara.
• Volunteer forums: Providing a space for volunteers to share tips, discuss experiences, and collaborate.

Join our full-stack program and make a difference!

This project is just one example of how our Full-Stack Program empowers students to use their skills to make a positive impact. By working on real-world projects like Flower Empower, our students graduate not only with technical proficiency but also with a sense of purpose and a portfolio that showcases their ability to drive change.

Are you ready to make a difference? Join our Full-Stack Program and start building the future today!