New CFT Fundholders Vijay and Heena Asava Commit One Million Meals to the North Texas Food Bank

Communities Foundation of Texas fundholders Vijay and Heena Asava have made a five-year commitment to provide one million meals via the North Texas Food Bank for neighbors facing hunger.

Communities Foundation of Texas fundholders Vijay and Heena Asava have made a five-year commitment to provide one million meals via the North Texas Food Bank for neighbors facing hunger.

Through their donor-advised fund at Communities Foundation of Texas, Vijay and Heena have joined the HungerMitao Million Meal Pledge, demonstrating their commitment to making a lasting difference in the communities where they live and work.
The HungerMitao Million Meal Pledge invites individuals and families to commit the equivalent of one million meals to Feeding America, designated to a food bank of their choice.

“We are honored to make this HungerMitao pledge to the North Texas Food Bank in loving memory of Heena’s mother, Padmaben Patel, who always believed that ‘no one should ever know the pain of hunger, especially children’,” said Vijay Asava.

“Knowing this commitment will help honor my mother’s legacy and provide one million meals to families and children in need makes it deeply meaningful. We hope to inspire others in our generation to make giving and serving our communities a part of their journey,” said Heena Asava.

Their commitment comes at a critical time for hunger relief. According to Feeding America, Texas has ranked first in the nation for food insecurity for the third consecutive year, while the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex ranks fourth among U.S. metropolitan areas for the number of people facing hunger. Even more troubling, nearly 2 million children in Texas—1 in 4—face food insecurity.

“The Asava family has built a strong legacy of fighting hunger, and we are grateful for their continued commitment to ensuring every neighbor has access to the nutritious food they need to thrive,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “This generous investment by Vijay and Heena Asava will help the North Texas Food Bank meet the growing need for food across our region while strengthening our ability to serve our neighbors in the years ahead.”

“We are very proud of Vijay and Heena for embracing the spirit of giving back and making such a meaningful commitment,” said Raj and Anna Asava, Co-Founders of HungerMitao.

“As young parents raising their family in these challenging times, they are setting an inspiring example by investing in the well-being of their community and starting their philanthropic journey early. Communities Foundation of Texas has been a valued partner in our family’s philanthropic journey, and we are grateful to see the next generation carry that spirit forward,” said Anna Asava.

Vijay and Heena, along with their children, Aanya (9) and Niam (13), have been active participants and volunteers with Communities Foundation of Texas and the North Texas Food Bank.

“It’s inspiring to see the direct impact of those we partner with on the causes they care about. Vijay and Heena established their donor-advised fund at CFT earlier this year and already are making a significant commitment to one of the causes close to their hearts. Increasingly, we are seeing our younger fundholders give of their time, talent, and treasure in meaningful ways while still balancing busy work lives and raising families,” said Wayne White, president and CEO at Communities Foundation of Texas.
“It’s important for our generation to continue to step up in helping others,” said Vijay. “We encourage everyone to give what they can, whether that’s volunteer time as an individual or family, food donations, or monetary donations. It all adds up and makes a huge difference in our community.”

To learn more about HungerMitao and its Million Meals Pledge program, visit HungerMitao.org or email USA@HungerMitao.org.

##

About HungerMitao
HungerMitao, meaning “Wipe Out Hunger” in Hindi, is a volunteer-driven grassroots movement dedicated to raising awareness about hunger in the United States and mobilizing the generosity, resources and volunteer spirit of the Indian American community to support hunger relief through Feeding America and its network of food banks. Guided by the principle of “Give Where You Live,” HungerMitao has enabled more than 92 million nutritious meals across the country. Learn more at HungerMitao.org.

About North Texas Food Bank
The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a leading nonprofit organization that fights hunger and provides children, seniors and families in North Texas access to nutritious food. For over 40 years, we have been at the forefront of hunger relief, committed to ensuring that no one in our community lacks access to healthy food. Our extensive network of 500 food pantries and organizations, volunteers, and donors enables us to deliver more than 141 million meals last year to those in need. Beyond just addressing hunger, we focus on nourishing lives by offering nutrition education, investing in our network partners, innovating solutions to eliminate hunger and advocating for policies that tackle the root causes of food insecurity.

Our dedication to excellence is reflected in our 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, highlighting our strong governance, integrity, and financial stability. As a proud member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief network, we are committed to ensuring everyone in North Texas has the nourishment needed to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. For more information, visit ntfb.org or connect with us on social media @NorthTexasFoodBank.

About Communities Foundation of Texas:
The mission of Communities Foundation of Texas is to improve the lives of all people in our community by investing in their health, wealth, living, and learning. With a vision of building thriving communities for all, Communities Foundation works locally and across the state with many individuals, families, companies, foundations, and nonprofits through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. Communities Foundation professionally manages more than 1,400 charitable funds and has awarded more than $3 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.

Communities Foundation is committed to serving and understanding donor needs, expertly handling complex gifts, wisely managing charitable funds, and leveraging its community knowledge to increase charitable impact, in addition to powering several initiatives including the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund, Center for Business Impact, Educate Texas, GiveWisely, HouseDTX, and North Texas Giving Day. Learn more at CFTexas.org.

CONTACT:
Kimber Westphall | 316.516.3277 | kwestphall@westphallpr.com
Britt Carman | 214.566.8603 | bcarman@westphallpr.com
Nicole Paquette | 989.225.5985 | npaquette@cftexas.org