- I like math.
I like modeling.
I like computers.
But what I want to do is be able to use it
to help people and so it's really interesting
or kind of exciting that we can use these tools
in helping in this humanitarian cause.
- [Narrator] Although the food bank
of central and eastern North Carolina is
the largest in the state, they still can't
reach everyone.
- I don't think people realize the magnitude
of food insecurity.
We believe there are about 680,000 people
that are food insecure at some point
during the month.
We can't get enough food in to solve the problem.
- [Narrator] Enter Dr. Ivy and Dr. Davis.
They're engineers who realized analytics
could revolutionize how food banks operate.
They reached out to see how they could help.
- The food bank gave us tons of data,
and you know initially we were like data, data, data.
But data can be like a blessing and a curse.
- [Narrator] They mined through millions of records
and translated the numbers into useful information.
- Some of the models that we have developed
try to predict the amount of food
that might be donated.
The other type of models also try to estimate
how many people might be in need of food.
We try to pull in data about unemployment,
poverty, to see if we can get a better estimate
of the true need in the counties that they serve.
- [Narrator] That information gives the food bank
an efficient way to predict changes
in supply and demand so they can reduce
food waste while maximizing the number
of people they can reach.
- What they have done is given us
why we should do certain things
and how we should do them, but instead
of saying, "Well that just feels right,"
we're able to say, "Well the data tells us."
It's very cool stuff.
- We're making an impact.
And we have the potential to do so much more.
The work we do is easily applicable
to other food banks.
And I think that we'll be able to figure out
how to, you know, reduce the number of families
who have hunger need.