Nakayoshi Initiative Celebrates 1st Anniversary with Virtual Food Drive

Join the North Texas Food Bank affinity group in fighting hunger by giving between March 18 and April 9.

^{Nakayoshi and its supporters gather at North Texas Food Bank for the affinity group’s launch in April 2024.}

North Texas Food Bank affinity group Nakayoshi is holding a colecta de comida virtual from March 18 through April 9 to celebrate their first anniversary.

Open March 18 through April 9, the online food drive gives people the chance to donate money or virtually purchase food items in support of the 1 in 7 North Texans facing hunger.

“Through our team’s virtual food drive and NTFB’s ability to stretch every dollar donated into three meals, your support makes a difference for food-insecure children, seniors, and families in North Texas,” says Dr. Sam Shichijo, one of the affinity group’s founders.

Sam points out that Texas now ranks first in the number of people facing hunger, with nearly 5 million individuals not knowing where their next meal will come from. In the 12 counties served by NTFB, nearly 664,000 individuals are food-insecure, including 1 in 5 children.

Nakayoshi, which roughly translates to “good friend,” is a volunteer-driven grassroots movement started last April by the Japanese community to fight hunger in North Texas in partnership with NTFB.

During its first year, Nakayoshi members and supporters began fundraising and volunteered nearly 200 hours with NTFB.

The group was also critical in helping NTFB form a retail partnership with Mitsuwa Marketplace, which specializes in Japanese and Southeast Asian products.

Sam took the initiative to introduce himself to the store’s management team and to work with them and NTFB’s Sourcing Team to implement a food donation program. The store now donates culturally familiar foods to a nearby NTFB partner pantry that serves neighbors with Asian heritage, giving them the chance to select items they may have grown up eating.

“We want to provide neighbors variety,” says NTFB Food Donation Specialist Miranda Barrios. “This includes providing them items they are familiar with and would buy normally if they had the means to.”

Along with Sam, Nakayoshi’s leadership team includes Yoko Shaw, Kota Akagi, Hisao Morita and Makiko Bass.

To donate to the group’s virtual food drive, visit this link. Participants can fill their cart with the Food Bank’s most needed items and follow the steps to check out or make a monetary donation.