Visualizing Data to Strengthen the Community

Visual Analytics to Identify Food Insecure Areas (Borders/Ferris) Student consultants analyzed potential indicators of food insecurity, drilling down within each county of West Michigan to identify areas with particularly acute needs. The analysis resulted in a series of online maps, depicting key indicators of food insecurity by Census Tract with the locations and pounds of food distributed to each pantry during 2015. The student consultants also calculated a Food Balance Score for each Census Tract. The efforts of the student consultants are being utilized to work more effectively with local food pantries and to better target locations where needs exist.