Service Insights

Service Insights is an initiative to gain a better understanding of the specific goals and needs of local neighborhoods through direct input from community members.

Service Insights: Ensuring Community-informed Decisions

Service Insights represents the Food Bank’s efforts to better understand neighbors accessing food assistance and other services through the Partner Agency Network. These insights help identify the drivers of food insecurity, uncover disparities in access, and guide data-informed decisions that improve programs, services, and community impact. Service Insights on Meal Connect is the online platform used to support the Service Insights initiative by helping Partner Agencies securely document neighbor visits, streamline intake, and collect community data electronically. Provided at no cost, SIMC also includes built-in analysis tools that allow agencies to visualize, explore, and better understand the communities they serve.

The information you share through Service Insights on Meal Connect (SIMC) directly informs our work, helping our network of partner agencies to:

Improve the experience of everyone accessing food assistance

Source more familiar and meaningful food that aligns with families’ needs

Draw in more donations of food, funding, and supplies and advocate for investments and services

Help Identify New Support

When partner agencies share basic information, we are better able to determine if neighbors are eligible for government-funded programs — including potential assistance with groceries, utilities, and housing.

Examples of information you may be asked to share include:

  • First and last name
  • Date of birth (for age-based support)
  • Street address (some programs are for specific geographic areas)
  • Household income
  • Number of people in your home (some benefits increase by family size)
  • Demographic information

We want all partner agencies to use Service Insights as we build a future where no one goes hungry. 

Service Insights is used by 46 partner agencies in 17 counties

Resource Library

Our Resource Library includes guides to help you learn and facilitate self-service.

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