6ixAssist

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Inspiration

We were inspired by the rising challenges of poverty and homelessness in Toronto. We wanted to build something practical, that could make a real, immediate difference for people who are struggling to find basic support when they need it.

What it does

6ixAssist helps users find nearby essential services, such as food banks, shelters and community resources. Users can type anything in their own words, and the app translates it into actionable search results, showing the closest support options on an interactive map. This allows users to find support fast.

How we built it

We used the Gemini API to power the searching and Open Street map API to surface the closest shelters, food banks, and essential services. Maps also handles geolocation, routing, and rendering everything directly on the interface. Tailwind CSS allowed us to build a clean, responsive UI quickly, while lightweight JavaScript ties the entire experience together.

Challenges we ran into

Our biggest challenges were debugging API key issues, handling errors from both Gemini and Open Street Map, and designing logic that could bridge the gap between natural-language understanding and location-based search. Especially with the time-constraint, it was difficult to work through these issues. But through this, we built collaborative skills.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud that we delivered a complete, end-to-end project under tight time constraints, and built it in a way that can be expanded far beyond its current version. We’re also proud that our work isn’t just a technical demo, it’s a tool that can actually support people in Toronto who need quick access to essential services. Knowing that this project has real-world impact makes the achievement even more meaningful for us.

What we learned

Throughout this project, we picked up skills that are essential for modern developers. We learned how to use AI tools like the Gemini API to interpret natural language, how to integrate those results with real-world data from Open Street Maps, and how to manage multiple API keys across environments. We also strengthened our UI/UX design skills by building a responsive interface with Tailwind CSS. These experiences taught us how to combine AI, geolocation, and frontend engineering into one cohesive product.

What's next for 6ixAssist

We hope to keep expanding it by integrating official open-data sources, adding real-time availability for shelters, and supporting additional languages through Gemini’s multilingual capabilities. We also want to improve the user experience, add bookmarking features.