Nanban Foundation Joins HungerMitao in Hunger Relief with Gift of 1 Million Meals

The Nanban Foundation, a Frisco-based organization whose vision is to help the community at large attain financial freedom, has joined the fight against hunger by taking the HungerMitao Million Meal Pledge at Feeding America, benefiting the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB).  

The word “nanban” means “friend” in the classic Indian language Tamil, and the meaning comes through not only in the foundation’s focus on teaching top-class financial knowledge free of cost, but in its support of underserved communities through socially relevant initiatives.

In addition to hunger relief, the Nanban Foundation, founded by Gopala Krishnan, Manivannan Shanmugam, Sakthivel Palani Gounder, and Udaykumar Jadhav, has made an impact in several areas in India, including women empowerment and environmentally friendly initiatives, such as providing solar power to unelectrified tribal communities.

“Our goal is to empower nanbans  around the world to gain financial freedom, and we know a critical component of that is having the basic foundation of health and nourishment,” Gopala Krishnan said. “We are excited to join the incredible work of HungerMitao and the North Texas Food Bank in providing hunger relief to our North Texas neighbors and friends,” added Uday Jadhav, President Nanban Foundation.

Co-founded and launched at NTFB in 2017 by Plano-based philanthropists Raj and Aradhana “Anna” Asava, the HungerMitao movement has gained tremendous momentum in connecting North Texas’ Indian American community with NTFB. Since its inception, HungerMitao has helped NTFB enable more than 10 million meals through various grassroots initiatives and financial support,  including a significant response to the pandemic. Nationally, the Asavas have personally pledged $1 million to Feeding America and have helped enable more than 35 million meals through HungerMitao’s fundraising efforts over the last three years.

As the impact of HungerMitao has grown, so too, has its reach. HungerMitao has expanded to food banks in Houston, New York City, Atlanta, and Seattle. The response from the Indian community has been tremendous and plans for additional chapters are underway.

“HungerMitao has always been about unifying the efforts and resources of the Indian diaspora in the United States around the humanitarian cause of hunger, and this focus on giving back to the community is woven into the fabric of the Nanban Foundation,” Anna Asava said. “We know with their support in the fight against hunger, we can bring nourishment and hope to our nanbans in need across North Texas,” Raj Asava added.

The gift from the Nanban Foundation comes at a time when the North Texas Food Bank is distributing more food than ever before as the community continues to recover from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Through their gift, the Nanban Foundation has shown a shared dedication and passion in providing nourishment and hope for our neighbors experiencing hunger. We are so grateful for the generous and critical support the community provides, especially during this critical time, and partners like HungerMitao and the Nanban Foundation bring us closer to our vision of a hunger-free, healthy North Texas,” said NTFB Chief External Affairs Officer Erica Yaeger.

Caryn Berardi is a Communications Specialist for the North Texas Food Bank.