A Central College student is helping food pantries better serve those in need through mapping technology. Central senior Rachel Frana is using Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, to map the locations and demographic data for 8000 families served by the Des Moines Area Religious Council food pantries. DMARC received help for a similar mapping project during the 2008 recession. Central College is one of a limited number of institutions that offer GIS instruction and experience. Frana said learning GIS is difficult, but she finds it interesting because the technology is useful in so many real-life applications. This fall, Frana and fellow senior Jordan Strumpfer are using the technology to map Central’s campus.