This week we looked at the stakeholders around the young volunteer. We hoped to uncover who is important and what connections are most important. It seems that the two most important things for the young volunteer are means of transportation and connecting with the food bank coordinators.
Next we attempted to empathize with the different potential young adults with a persona map. We assumed an age range of 18–29, a range of wealth, a range of education.
Next we pinned down 50 pain points and then grouped them into categories of Safety, Money, Information/Impact, Commitment/Responsibility, and transportation.
We found that the largest number of problems was due to covid-19 and the fear of catching and spreading it during the pandemic. Few key points were: Its scary to go alone, one might be unsure if they are making an impact, one might not how much time to commit.
Finally we started sketching solutions.
My personal favorite is to begin to visualize maps for the users and allow them to see where the closest food bank is and what times they are active. Helping people visually imagine their journey might get them going smoothly.
Bonus:
We began making questions for the young volunteers as well as the coordinators at the food bank:
Questions for a Food Bank Volunteer:
How did you first hear about the food bank?
When and why did you decide to volunteer at the food bank?
(for volunteers) Where did you find the information about how to volunteer for the food bank? Do you think a non-volunteer would be able to find that information?
How far away do you live from the food bank and how do you commute there? Is there anything you would change about your transportation to a food bank?
How often do you work at the food bank (hours a week)? Does it fit in your schedule?
Have you ever shared your experience at a food bank on social media? What was the response?
Is there anything you would change about your experience working at a food bank?
Has your experience at the food bank changed because of covid? (food supply, volunteers, staff, etc)
Questions for Coordinator at Food Bank:
How many people typically volunteer at the Food Bank?
Are there certain demographics that volunteer more than others?
Has Covid affected volunteer participation?
What is the hardest thing about helping at a food bank?
What is the nicest thing about helping at a food bank?
Do you have support for people who are restricted by travel?
