In this project Kevin employs statistical methods to efficiently and accurately analyze the products that the GVFB receives based on characteristics such a nutritional facts.

What made you interested in pursuing your project?
When I first saw the opportunity to work on a data analysis project at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, I immediately seized the chance. I was interested in conducting data analysis and the chance to do so for a non-profit organization was an experience I hoped to gain.

Describe some of the key tasks and/or deliverables you were responsible for during your project.
The project called for means of analyzing what was coming in to the Food Bank’s warehouse on a monthly basis. For the first 2 months, I would go to the site for about once a week. I would ask questions, work hands-on with their data, and use skills I learned over the year to figure out how to accomplish the tasks at hand.

What you learnt that was most memorable and valuable during your project?
Towards the last 2 months, things started picking up for my project. I came to the site frequently to accomplish more tasks as deadlines started approaching. As a result, not only was more work being completed, but names and faces started becoming more familiar – both theirs and mine. By the end of the project, not only did I complete the objectives, but I had also made many meaningful connections. As someone who never had any formal work experience prior to this, I found this aspect of the project invaluable. Now, I am a proud and official volunteer for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. The data gathered from the process developed by my team and I is now being used to educate the team at the Food Bank so that they are able to educate others or make informed decisions.