ASU, St. Mary’s Food Bank partner to tackle food insecurity in Arizona
From left: Associate Professor Connor Sheehan from the Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, PhD GIS candidate Alexi Vogel and Assistant Professor Aaron Flores from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning present their geospatial dashboard results at St. Mary’s Food Bank on Nov. 4. Photo by Bianca Squicciarini
Arizona State University and St. Mary’s Food Bank (SMFB) have joined forces to create an interactive data dashboard that tracks and maps food insecurity rates across Arizona. This innovative tool aims to analyze patterns, provide critical insights and optimize resource allocation to address disparities in food access.
By combining ASU’s research expertise with SMFB’s decades of community service, the collaboration provides the nonprofit with the tools they need to make informed, data-driven decisions to allocate resources more effectively and enhance their mission to alleviate hunger.
The ASU project team includes PhD students Alexi Vogel and Taekyung Seong, Assistant Professor Aaron Flores from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, and Associate Professor Connor Sheehan from the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics.
A data-driven approach to combatting food insecurity
The dashboard, currently in the final stages of completion, visualizes food insecurity by integrating key socioeconomic data such as demographics (i.e., income, education, age, unemployment), SMFB food distribution statistics and access to government assistance programs like SNAP. By identifying the areas of greatest need, the tool offers actionable insights to better target food-insecure populations.
“What makes this dashboard special is that it combines different data sources such as census tract information, data from the Arizona Department of Health Services and SMFB’s internal distribution records all in one location. Anyone could gather and look at this data themselves, but the accessibility of putting it in one place makes it much more beneficial,” said Vogel, a PhD student in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning who co-led the project.
The dashboard also reveals regional disparities in food insecurity, particularly in rural and Indigenous communities like the Navajo Nation in the northeastern part of the state. By overlaying data on tribal lands with metrics such as vehicle ownership, the dashboard helps pinpoint barriers to food distribution and identifies opportunities for targeted resources to those in need.
Insights that drive impact
For SMFB, which serves about 300,000 meals daily across Arizona, the dashboard represents a transformative leap forward in addressing hunger. SMFB’s Chief Programs Officer Marcos Gaucin noted the importance of using data to inform strategic decisions.
“This tool transforms data into actionable information. We’re not collecting data just for the sake of it — we’re using it to make better decisions. It ensures that more people, especially those who need it most, are fed in ways that align with their preferences for timing, location and type of food,” Gaucin said. “It helps us make decisions that are not only efficient, but also effective and impactful.”
Walter "Kip" Ware, SMFB’s senior director of data analytics and sourcing, highlighted another key benefit: advocacy.
"The concept of turning data into actionable information is powerful. It has a strong storytelling aspect, enabling us to educate by showing what’s really happening in the community. We can use this information to clearly communicate with donors and supporters, sharing what we’re seeing and what the data is telling us," Ware said.
Social embeddedness in action
This collaboration embodies social embeddedness, one of ASU’s nine design aspirations— connecting ASU with communities to tackle real-world problems.
Over the summer, the ASU team gained hands-on experience by volunteering at SMFB events, where they helped pack food boxes and participated in direct food distribution. In November, faculty and staff from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning joined similar volunteer efforts, further deepening the partnership.
“As researchers, it has deepened our understanding of the complexities of food insecurity and fueled our commitment to addressing this issue,” Flores said.
-
Staff and faculty from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning volunteered by packing emergency food boxes and assisting with food distribution at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona, on Nov. 4.
Photo by Bianca Squicciarini
-
PhD GIS candidate Alexi Vogel (center) and Assistant Professor Aaron Flores (left) from the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning work with volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona.
Photo by Bianca Squicciarini
-
PhD GIS candidate Alexi Vogel (left) works with volunteers at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, Arizona.
Photo by Bianca Squicciarini
Next steps and a model for change
The dashboard has inspired new approaches to addressing food needs. For example, SMFB is focusing on culturally relevant and nutritionally sound food distributions, such as curated tribal food boxes sourced from Indigenous producers. The tool also supports SMFB's efforts to balance dietary needs, with fresh produce accounting for over 40% of the organization’s food distributions.
The ASU team aims to finalize the dashboard by year-end and release a comprehensive public report detailing their findings. This report will offer insights and serve as a model for similar collaborations across the country.
“I believe it's crucial to focus on the local area. If we can reach a point where we understand the root causes and solutions to food insecurity and share that knowledge, individuals will be inspired to get involved and contribute to meaningful change,” Seong said.
SMFB plans to take ownership of maintaining and expanding the dashboard in the long term, potentially incorporating automation to keep it dynamic and up to date. ASU and SMFB will continue their collaboration while also exploring new research opportunities to build on the success of this partnership.
This collaboration exemplifies how universities and community organizations can work together to tackle complex social issues. The dashboard’s actionable insights and data-driven approach position SMFB to feed Arizona’s most food-insecure populations more effectively while ASU continues its mission of generating knowledge that benefits the public good.
More Science and technology
Study reveals genetic insight into desert survival
The deserts of the American Southwest are home to the Mojave and Sonoran desert tortoises, two seemingly similar yet genetically distinct species of turtles. These tortoises, adapted to different…
Study reveals lasting effects of common weed killer on brain health
Environmental exposure to toxins in the air, water or certain chemicals can increase the risk of ill health effects, including to the human brain.The human brain is an incredibly adaptable organ,…
ASU grad to use science to get an edge on crime
Editor’s note: This story is part of a series of profiles of notable fall 2024 graduates.As a child growing up in Pinetop, Arizona, Giavanna Caruth's family experienced a tragic loss in the early…