Giving hope to the hungry with a more sustainable approach

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Giving hope to the hungry with a more sustainable approach

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If you’ve ever volunteered to help in a crisis, then you know how beneficial your support can be to the welfare of others and how important a smooth operation is to the mission’s success. Essen für Alle, based in Switzerland, is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that relies solely on volunteers’ time, talent, and generosity to assist people in need, regardless of their residency or financial status. The organization’s volunteers are energized by fostering social welfare with a sustainable approach that turns food surplus into a donation for hungry people in their communities.

A mission to prevent rampant food waste and ease financial vulnerability

In 2020, as Covid-19 forced the closure of state facilities, Switzerland witnessed a distressing situation where numerous individuals faced food insecurity while an alarming amount of food was being wasted across the country. That’s when Essen für Alle emerged in Zurich to address two of Switzerland’s social challenges: rampant food waste and escalating financial vulnerability. During the pandemic, the NGO fulfilled its sustainability mission to prevent food waste by connecting surplus food with more than 5000 hungry people every month. That was just the beginning.

In a few short years, Essen für Alle’s reach has quadrupled beyond Zurich to include the cities of Chur, Schwyz, and Glarus. As the organization grew, so did the complexity of coordinating food donors, distribution, volunteer staff schedules, and recipients. However, with the arrival of refugees from war-stricken regions in Switzerland, the mission of Essen für Alle became even more crucial.   

The battle between volunteer scheduling vs food distribution

At Essen für Alle, every person and moment matter when delivering its mission with as little financial waste and resource loss as possible. As a 100% volunteer-driven nonprofit with growing pains, Essen für Alle needed a better way to coordinate volunteer scheduling and streamline food distribution to recipients. Its home-grown software was not scaling with the mission. Due to the numerous issues associated with their reliance on paper ID cards, they needed a more efficient solution to handle administrative tasks, securely process data, and register recipients.

Essen für Alle sought a stable and user-friendly software solution to coordinate its 500 volunteers’ work, orchestrate food distributions, and capture and manage recipients’ details. When a volunteer suggested that SAP sponsor the NGO’s software foundation, the company decided to support Essen für Alle by developing a tailored solution for receiver management and volunteer shift planning.

The integrated system went live in September 2022, resulting in over 6,500 new recipients registered, 85,000 food packages distributed, and 10,000 volunteer shifts managed.

Preventing food waste and hunger with a sustainable operating modelThe new cloud software system, built on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP), enhances the NGO’s ability to serve recipients effectively, minimize food waste, and operate sustainably. The system ensures a consistent and reliable source of nutrition and sustenance for individuals in need through food packages valued between €50 and €80.

“Thanks to SAP, we implemented a tailored solution within five months,” detailed Amine Diare-Conde, the founder. “Increased efficiency and useful analytics are just two examples of how the solution helps us work in a more professional manner.” 

Essen für Alle implemented a centralized system that efficiently manages volunteers and ensures the privacy of food package recipients. The outdated paper ID cards have been replaced with plastic cards containing QR codes. To securely capture recipients’ personal information, OCR software is utilized to scan passports. 

Since the system’s launch, the NGO has processed around 1,300 recipient check-ins, 80 new recipient registrations, and 150 volunteer signups every Saturday throughout the year.

Forging connections, fostering collaborations, and transcending social boundaries 

Essen für Alle has grown its influence beyond food waste concerns. The NGO now helps refugees and immigrants integrate into the nation’s cultural fabric by fostering connections, promoting inclusivity, and facilitating education and friendships. To that purpose, implementing a streamlined and integrated digital backbone helps ensure continuous volunteer availability and meticulous oversight of donations and distributions. 

The new system has freed over 80% of the NGO’s volunteers to focus on fostering a community where mutual aid and guidance are offered. A sense of camaraderie and belonging is shared amongst volunteers and assistance recipients, leading to meaningful social connections, job skills training, employment opportunities, and upward mobility. 

With this level of volunteerism, efficiency, and governance, Essen für Alle can dedicate more time and resources toward fulfilling its mission by permanently eliminating food insecurity in Switzerland.

Essen für Alle is a recipient of the 2024 SAP Innovation Award for sustainability in the public sector. You can learn more about its transformative cloud software system and fast deployment by taking a look at the NGO’s pitch deck. 



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