Spring 2017:

Project Problem/Question/Issue:

Our Daily Bread MOT’s (ODB) mission is to feed low income families, individuals, children, the elderly, and all those in need in the Middletown, Odessa, and Townsend communities with nutritious meals in a safe environment. Despite a growing capacity to serve more people, the organization’s reach is limited by a lack of transportation for those outside of Middletown who cannot walk to their dining hall. The MOT area is a developing rural area, with miles between town centers. While ODB recognizes needs exist outside of Middletown, it does not have an up to date demographic assessment providing a reliable estimates of the number of impoverished people in need of their services. This raises important questions related to meeting the service needs of MOT’s most vulnerable citizens including: 1) How large is the need for expanded nutritional services in the MOT region? 2) What is the adequacy of public transportation in the MOT area to help those in need reach these needed services?; and 3) How have these services been provided effectively in other more sparsely populated semi-rural areas

Requested Deliverable:

A report and oral briefing to the Board Members of Our Daily Bread describing the following:

• A demographic analysis, with a particular focus on the geographic areas of the MOT area
• with an elevated concentration of low income people in need of nutritional services.
• A review and analysis of the adequacy of current public transportation in MOT for providing
• people in need access to the dining services of Our Daily Bread.
• A review and summary of how nutritional services have been successfully provided in other
• semi-rural areas such as through volunteer programs, collaboration among churches, van
• services, or any other options.
• Conclusions and recommended options for Our Daily Bread MOT to consider.

Client:

• Larry Norfleet, Vice President

Faculty Supervisor:

• David Carter

Final Deliverables:

• Report
• Presentation