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Welcome to the MOW Developer Documentation

This site provides the central developer documentation for the MOW Delivery Platform, a free and open-source delivery management system built for and in conjunction with Meals on Wheels of Charlottesville/Albemarle.


Empowering Community Care

MOW is a comprehensive delivery platform designed specifically for Meals on Wheels organizations. Built with modern technology and user-centered design, it streamlines operations, improves volunteer coordination, and ensures reliable meal delivery to those who need it most.

This platform replaces outdated systems with a robust, scalable solution that supports unlimited dietary requirements, multiple pets per client, comprehensive reporting, and enhanced security features.

Platform at a Glance

  • Platform: AWS EC2 (ARM64) + Docker Compose + Caddy
  • App: Python 3.13 / Django 5.2.6 LTS / DRF + JWT
  • Data: PostgreSQL 17.6, Redis 8.2, nightly backups
  • CI/CD: GitHub Actions → Releases → Deploy (SSM)
  • Docs: MkDocs + OpenAPI
  • Security: CSP, HSTS, SSM Parameter Store
  • Testing: Unit/Integration, E2E & Load via Artillery
  • Observability: OTel → Prom, Loki, Tempo, Grafana

Documentation Sections

This documentation is organized by the system's components.

  • Project Hub
    • High-level project info, system architecture, roadmap, and technology inventory.
  • Design System
    • UI/UX guidelines, Figma assets, and component library.
  • Backend Platform
    • Django API server, database, infrastructure, deployment, and observability.
  • iOS Application
    • Native iOS app development, frameworks, and deployment.
  • Android Application
    • Native Android app development, frameworks, and deployment.
  • API Reference
    • Live OpenAPI (Swagger) documentation for the Admin and Volunteer APIs.

Next: Project Overview >