Today, Congressman Eric Sorensen (IL-17) named Akhil Kumar, a Moline High School junior, as the winner of his 2023 Congressional App Challenge for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. Kumar won with his app, FoodFlow, which connects restaurants that have excess food to non-profits and food banks to reduce waste and feed the hungry.
“I am a strong believer that science and innovation will help solve some of our nation’s greatest challenges,” said Sorensen. “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. In Congress, I will continue doing everything I can to support STEM education for our talented students in Central and Northwestern Illinois.”
“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,” said Akhil Kumar, the designer of the winning app, FoodFlow.
"We at MHS heartily congratulate Akhil for his winning application, FoodFlow, which connects restaurants with non-profits to deliver excess food to those in need. Akhil's success and focus on community service exemplifies the best of Moline High School, and we are so proud of his achievement,” said Chris Moore, Principal of Moline High School.
Kumar is the first winner of the competition for the 17th Congressional District to be selected by Sorensen. His app, FoodFlow, allows restaurants to send a notice to non-profits when they have excess food so that food doesn’t go to waste. Kumar will be invited to Washington, DC, to connect with other winners of the competition from around the nation.
The Congressional App Challenge is a national competition established by Congress in 2013 for middle and high school students to create their own software applications and gain experience with computer coding. To learn more about the Congressional App Challenge, click here.