Fetch-A-Cause

Initial Page
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Events Near You
Earn a Badge!
Chat with Gemini!

Inspiration

Have you ever wanted to give back but didn’t know where to start? Were you ever bored, lonely, and don't know what to do about it. You should VOLUNTEER! According to Forbes, volunteering rates are at a 30-year low, yet our generation loves sharing experiences online. That’s where Fetch-a-Cause comes in! So, are you ready to fetch a cause and make an impact? 🐾

What it does

Our app helps young people discover volunteer opportunities while making it fun and rewarding. Users can explore opportunities on an interactive map, earn badges for different causes, and share their achievements with friends—turning volunteering into a social experience and building great healthy habits! Plus, the more you volunteer, the more you can customize and grow your own virtual pet!

How we built it

We built the app using SwiftUI for both the frontend and backend, designing the user interface in Figma to ensure a seamless and engaging experience. The backend is powered by Firebase, handling database management and real-time updates. To help users discover nearby volunteering opportunities, we integrated the Mapbox API for location-based event listings. Development and collaboration were managed using Xcode and GitHub to maintain version control and streamline the coding process.

Challenges we ran into

We faced several challenges while developing our platform, including difficulties making map markers clickable using Mapbox’s API, despite attempting multiple solutions like PointAnnotation and GeoJSON. Firebase also presented issues, as we had to navigate individual iOS developer accounts and bundle identifiers. Designing a scalable database schema required careful planning to ensure efficiency and flexibility. Additionally, since no suitable volunteering API existed, we manually compiled and curated the data, which was time-consuming but necessary for accuracy. We also explored implementing a chatbot but couldn’t integrate it in time.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We are proud of learning and using technologies and tools that were unfamiliar to us. We have limited experience in mobile app development and integrating APIs so we were happy to produce a functional app this weekend.

What we learned

Integrating APIs: We learned how to use the Google Gemini API, handle API requests, and MapBox. Mobile App Development: Using Swift and Xcode Collaboration: Getting comfortable using Github Create complex and creative wireframes in Figma!

What's next for Fetch-A-Cause

Generating a live pet with AI, similar to tomogatchi’s → nostalgic digital feel Adjust to make choose a date/week to show specific events . Expanding to more locations beyond Southern California. Adding a community feature where users can volunteer with friends. Introducing customization options for pets, like naming them and interacting with them.