Record-Breaking Peanut Butter Drive: NiHao Boosts Impact Through New Partnerships

NiHao and its partner organizations helped the NTFB affinity group raise over $64,000 and nearly 6,000 pounds of peanut butter.

With the support of its city teams, youth ambassador team, Royal Music Academy, Comerica Bank, and Hanmi Bank, NiHao raised a record $64,595 and 5,925 pounds of peanut butter during North Texas Food Bank’s annual Peanut Butter Drive.

“Our overall strategy was to raise greater awareness about hunger and empower grassroots participation through diverse events and community-drive actions,” said Ying Jia, NiHao Steering Committee member. “We truly believe that fighting hunger begins with awareness. When people understand the need, they are inspired to act. Many of this year’s peanut butter donations came directly from individuals and families within our local communities.”

NiHao has participated in the September Peanut Butter Drive for five years. This year was the first that they strategically involved these additional organizations and their youth ambassadors.

One of the highlights of those expanded partnerships was the Royal Music Academy’s second annual charity concert, which sold out in two days and raised $19,300 through ticket sales and sponsorships.

Additionally, youth ambassadors, corporate partners, and community organizations set up 72 drop-off locations for peanut butter at schools, libraries, restaurants, banks, medical clinics and elsewhere. The broad number of options for donating made it easy for everyone, no matter where they were, to join the movement, Ying said.

To get students more involved, Sherwin Xu, President of NiHao Youth Ambassador Program, created a playbook that documented the process for ambassadors to connect with their schools and local organizations to help them get involved. He then met with ambassadors regularly to offer support.

“Instead of doing the work for them, I encouraged them to take action, communicate directly, and represent NiHao’s mission confidently,” Sherwin said. “Seeing them grow into community leaders and watching their initiative shine has been one of the most rewarding parts of the drive.”

Sally Mao, an ambassador from NiHao’s Youth Team, said she was grateful for the experience of participating and she was even able to get her former elementary school involved in the drive. She also partnered with several other schools and businesses.

“I hope that through my efforts to promote this event, many students like me will be inspired to give back and join in community service,” she said. “I’m proud to do something that helps others and raises awareness about hunger.”

Student ambassador Sherwin Xu agreed and said the drive was also a great lesson in persistence.

“Some of the schools that initially seemed hesitant ended up contributing hundreds of pounds once they understood the cause and saw the youth involvement behind it,” Sherwin said. “It was a great reminder that taking time to connect personally can turn small efforts into big results.”

Through their great efforts, Athena Wen, Betty Liu, Carson Liu, Claire Qiao, Emma Wei, Jennifer Regal, Judith Tse, Sally Mao, Sophia Kong and other 20 ambassadors, ultimately made outstanding contributions as the youth ambassador team.

NiHao Co-Founder James Huang said the new strategies they employed helped to leverage their network for a greater impact in the fight against hunger.

“Peanut butter is a simple comfort food that makes a big difference—yet it’s one of the most under-donated items because of its cost. Every child can relate to a peanut butter sandwich, and every family deserves access to this nutritious staple,” said James.

NiHao is a cultural affinity group of the North Texas Food Bank that brings together the North Texas Chinese American community to fight hunger through grassroots, volunteer efforts.

In total, the 2025 Peanut Butter Drive raised $355,000 and 85,00 pounds of peanut butter.