A group of STEM students from Ramapo College of New Jersey developed a new data platform and barcode scanning system for the Center for Food Action, according to a Mar. 18 announcement. The project, completed during the Fall 2025 semester, aims to improve how the organization collects, tracks, and forecasts data related to food distribution in Northern New Jersey.
The initiative is significant because it helps the Center for Food Action (CFA) better understand its operations and needs. CFA serves about 40,000 people annually through six food pantries across Bergen and Passaic counties. By modernizing inventory management and data analysis, the organization can more effectively explain its impact to attract funding and optimize services.
Five interns from Ramapo’s Data, Mathematical, and Computational Sciences (DMC) Center Community Impact program worked on the project. They analyzed inventory records covering food collection, distribution patterns, donor information, recipient demographics, and logistics across CFA’s locations in Englewood, Hackensack, Mahwah, Ringwood, Saddle Brook, and at Bergen Community College in Paramus. The students then built a web application that allows CFA employees to view charts and dashboards on inventory movement and client visits. A barcode scanner app was also created to streamline tracking of incoming donations.
“This is an amazing game changer for us,” said Nicole Davis, Executive Director of CFA. Davis said the new system will help CFA “understand what people really want, what people really need to help sustain themselves and get back on track.” She added that it will also assist in communicating CFA’s story to potential funders.
Frank Ruiz, Director of Operations at CFA, described the transition from manual inventory processes as extraordinary: “Now we finally got what we wanted the whole time… be able to scan our products that we get in from the Community Food Bank and our private donors… much quicker rather than doing it manually.”
Students involved in the project highlighted its value as hands-on experience relevant to their future careers. Emily Morra ‘26 said it was her first real-world application as a data science major: “I feel like that gives me an upper hand… I’ve done it in a real-world scenario.” Tina Nostrati ‘26 called it “both educational and genuinely rewarding,” adding: “Experiences like this are valuable because they bring real-life community challenges into an academic setting.”
The Daffron Family Foundation funded these internships and plans to support further development so that similar applications can be deployed at other food pantries in New Jersey and New York. Stephen C. Daffron said he believes this approach will have “a far greater and longer lasting impact” than one-time donations: “This project will enable them to see where the food comes from… how to optimize what to do with it.”
The partnership aligns with Ramapo College’s strategic plan goals of academic excellence and civic engagement by providing service opportunities that make a positive societal impact locally and regionally. DMC Director Dr. Scott Frees hopes this success encourages more donors: “Nonprofits often don’t have the resources… but the students deliver a huge amount of value.” He emphasized that such projects benefit both students’ education and community organizations.
Interns from Ramapo’s DMC Center are also working on event management systems for other local nonprofits such as Mahwah Environmental Volunteer Organization (MEVO). Nostrati concluded: “Knowing that the analytical work we do can help an organization operate more effectively – and that this may make someone’s life a little easier or better – keeps me motivated.”
