North Texas Food Bank Indo-American Council founders, Raj and Adrahana “Anna” Asava present a check for $100,000 to North Texas Food Bank President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. Their donation was presented in celebration of Diwali and is part of the NTFB IAC’s ‘Million Meal March’ signature campaign.

North Texas Food Bank’s newly-formed Indo-American Council, led by local philanthropists Anna and Raj Asava, is launching a signature campaign, the ‘Million Meal March,’ to raise awareness and funds to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. The Council has set a goal of providing access to 1 million nutritious meals via this campaign.

Since the launch of the Indo-American Council in September, the Asavas have recruited a diverse and talented steering committee to build momentum and serve as the driving force behind the council. Prominent members include Manisha and Sanjive Agarwala, Anjali and Vihang Desai, Sejal and Hemang Desai, Veena and Sunil Khiani, Neelam and Prakash Mathrani, and Shailesh Negandhi.

“When we launched the Council just a few short weeks ago, we knew that we would get a positive response,” said Raj Asava NTFB IAC founder. “What we didn’t know was how passionate these advocates would be about the cause of hunger. Launching the Million Meal March is exciting and humbling because we have seen the community rally behind the idea of eradicating hunger in North Texas.”

In addition to serving as the founders of the Indo-American Council, the Asavas are also major donors to the initiative, recently presenting a check of $100,000 to the Food Bank at a Diwali volunteer day at the NTFB warehouse.

“I have known Anna and Raj for many years now, and they bring enthusiasm and passion to everything that they do,” said Anurag Jain, North Texas Food Bank board chair. “I love the theme, Million Meal March, because it underscores the collaboration that is necessary to meet the goal. The community is marching together to make sure that our neighbors are fed.”

The North Texas Food Bank is a top-ranked nonprofit hunger-relief organization with its primary distribution center in Southwest Dallas, and administrative headquarters located in the Dallas Farmers Market. Each day, NTFB provides access to more than 190,000 meals for hungry children, seniors, and families through a network of more than 1,000 programs and more than 200 Partner Agencies. In fiscal year 2016, NTFB provided access to some 70 million nutritious meals. While the NTFB is making steady progress toward closing the hunger gap, much work remains to be done to reach the organization’s 10-year goal of providing 92 million nutritious meals annually by 2025.

The Indo-American Council of the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB-IAC) exists to raise awareness and community involvement, as well as channel the resources and contributions of the Indian American community towards the mission of NTFB of a hunger-free community.

To learn more about the Million Meal March and the North Texas Food Bank Indo-American Council, please visit www.ntfb.org/iac.