Raj and Anna Asava / Courtesy: Ishani Duttagupta

During the recent government shutdown, thousands of American families were suddenly left without paychecks or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, causing an immediate surge in demand at food banks.

The Indian American community rose to the challenge through the HungerMitao initiative. Volunteers packed food boxes, organized food drives, and raised funds to ensure no family in their local area went hungry.

“We work with the Feeding America network to activate the Indian American community in support of their local food banks,” says Raj G. Asava. Along with his wife, Aradhana (Anna) Asava, Raj founded HungerMitao in 2017, following their retirement from corporate careers. HungerMitao, according to him, is not an organization; rather, it’s a movement and a rallying cry to mobilize the Indian diaspora in the USA to engage in the fight against hunger and to give where they live.

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“When we learned about the magnitude of hunger in America—50 million people across the country struggling to put food on their family table—we decided to create a movement that unifies the Indian diaspora around food insecurity, something that our traditions and culture support so deeply,” Asava says.

Instead of starting from the ground up, Raj and Aradhana chose the path of collaboration to power ongoing efforts that were already doing impactful work in the hunger space. After two years of volunteering with their local food bank to understand the issue of food insecurity in America and the workings of the food bank, they modeled their movement, HungerMitao, as a force multiplier for the Feeding America network.

The movement resonated with the community; people joined the effort, offering their time, talent, and treasure. Over the past eight years, through the engagement of just a few thousand Indian Americans, HungerMitao has driven an impressive 80-million-meal impact.

“We started with one chapter at the North Texas Food Bank, but HungerMitao has since expanded into a national groundswell. We are succeeding in mobilizing volunteers across age groups and subcultures, partnering with schools, places of worship, corporations, and associations, and amplifying the impact of the Indian American community, successful not just in their professions but also in serving local communities,” Asava said.

Today, HungerMitao empowers the Indian American community to step up when and where it's needed most. Whether it’s packing boxes and hosting food drives during traditional Indian festivals such as Diwali, Holi, and Baisakhi, or providing the financial backing necessary to keep food banks running, the initiative does more than just feed people—it brings a rich heritage of giving to the forefront of the fight against hunger. The focus now is on scaling and sustainability to ensure recurring contributions, expand chapters, and engage younger generations through awareness, volunteering, and digital giving.

“HungerMitao promotes opportunities where people can donate to their food banks at various levels, from small recurring donations to the impact of millions of meals,” Asava said. He added that the recent million-meal donation from Twisted X Global Brands, a footwear company, is a perfect example. “When Prasad Reddy, president and founder of Twisted X, learned about the impact of HungerMitao, he joined the effort immediately, his donation benefiting North Texas and Tarrant Area Food Banks.”

“Over a dozen individuals and businesses across the USA have taken the HungerMitao million-meal pledge, committing their support to the war against hunger, and hundreds are donating at other levels,” Asava said. “Every dollar makes a difference, as the efficiency of the food banks can enable several meals with just one dollar.”

Another business leader, Saurajit Kanungo, president of CG Infinity, has also joined in through a million-meal pledge benefiting the North Texas and Houston Food Banks. Other community partners of HungerMitao in North Texas, who have taken the million meals pledge, include Sastha Tamil Foundation, Hollywood producer Niraj Bhatia, and business leaders Hemakshi & Manish Desai and Ruchira and Rajeev Mehta.

The Asavas are working towards involving Indian American community members across different age profiles. “People in different stages of life can all engage in different ways. Volunteering opportunities for students are a win-win. Our team also curates other zero-cost fundraisers—a gently worn saree sale, a restaurant discount card, concerts where local artists donate their time and talent, a local restaurant donates snacks, a local businessman offers their facility, and the community supports by attending the event for a small donation to the food bank,” Asava explained.

For many Indian Americans, HungerMitao is helping turn their passion into a fundraiser and creating instant impact in the fight against hunger in America.