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Hunger Mitao Reached 2.8 Million Meals for Food Lifeline

Indian American Council campaign nearly triples its original fundraising goal!

August 5th, 2020—SEATTLE – Food Lifeline announced yesterday that HungerMitao has surpassed its initial milestone of helping create 1,000,000 meals for the 300 food banks, shelters, and meal programs served by Food Lifeline. As of this press release, over 2,800,000 meals have been facilitated!

The month of August marks, HungerMitao Month, a signature campaign of the HungerMitao movement that is held nationwide at Feeding America affiliate food banks in honor of India’s Independence month. This year, due to COVID-19, the traditional HungerMitao Month food drive has been replaced with virtual funds for food drives. Participants can donate or create virtual fundraisers and register for volunteer opportunities. For more information please visit https://foodlifeline.org/hungermitaomonth/.

HungerMitao is proud to partner with Seattle Food Lifeline to help raise funds for the food challenged, especially in this time of crisis,” said Raj and Anna Asava, co-founders of IAC and the HungerMitao movement. “This has proven to be an amazing partnership”, says Food Lifeline President and CEO Linda Nageotte. “The energy and determination of the Indian American Council are making a tremendous difference in the lives of so many people.”

HungerMitao at Food Lifeline is excited to announce the addition of HungerMitao Co-Chairs Dr. Aakanksha Sinha and Ashish Shah. Dr. Aakanksha Sinha moved to the US for higher education. She received her Ph.D. in Social Work from Boston College and has expertise in food justice, social innovation, and community development. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work at Seattle University and the Co-founder of the Indian Street Food restaurant Spice Waala in Capitol Hill. Aakanksha says, “We all have to do our bit to create a more just society where all people have access to basic needs. I am proud to be part of a movement that is dedicated to building a community of change leaders and wiping out hunger.”

Ashish Shah is the Director of Community Relations at Indiaspora. With a background in nonprofit management, consulting, and business development, Ashish is focused on understanding the giving habits and patterns of the Indian diaspora in the U.S. and elevating the level of giving of the Indian community by empowering donors and philanthropists. Before Indiaspora, Ashish worked for over 10 years as a management consultant in the healthcare industry in Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle. Ashish says, “I am thrilled that HungerMitao launched in Seattle earlier this year in partnership with Food Lifeline. I am excited to join in the mission and work with the Indian community to collectively help all communities in the Seattle area address the issue of food insecurity that is growing at an alarming rate especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

For more information about HungerMitao at Food Lifeline, visit: www.foodlifeline.org/hungermitao. Connect with HungerMitao on Facebook for future updates and opportunities to engage at HungerMitao_Seattle.

About HungerMitao: HungerMitao is a volunteer-driven grassroots movement focused on raising awareness about hunger in the USA, improving community engagement, as well as channeling resources and contributions of the Indian American community to fight hunger through the Feeding America network of food banks. Over the two years since its launch, the movement is closing in on enabling 20 million meals through Feeding America and Food Banks in North Texas, Houston, New York City, Atlanta, and Seattle.