MOLINE, Ill. — A Moline High School junior is being recognized after developing an app aimed at reducing food waste.
On Friday, Jan. 26, Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Rockford, announced that Akhil Kumar is this year's winner of the 2023 Congressional App Challenge for Illinois' 17th Congressional District. While the annual event takes place nationwide, the competition itself is district-specific.
Kumar's app, FoodFlow, connects restaurants with excess food to area nonprofits and food banks, reducing food waste and helping those in need. Through the app, restaurants are able to send notices to local organizations, letting them know about the extra food.
“Being born to immigrant parents who really taught me the value of each meal, knowing that I am able to through my passion of coding help others and those in need who don't often have access to those healthy meals, it really means a lot to me,” Kumar said in a press release.
Kumar is the first winner of the competition to be selected by Sorensen for the 17th District. He will be invited to go to Washington, D.C., to meet winners from districts across the nation.
“I am a strong believer that science and innovation will help solve some of our nation’s greatest challenges,” Sorensen said in a press release. “I want to congratulate Akhil Kumar for winning the 2023 Congressional App Challenge with his app that connects food banks with restaurants so our neighbors who may need a little extra help can feed their families. I also want to thank every student from our district who participated in this important STEM challenge.”
The Congressional App Challenge was established in 2013 by Congress as a way to recognize middle and high school students developing software programs and applications.
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