Dallas, Aug. 15, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Longtime North Texas Food Bank supporters Aradhana (Anna) and Raj G. Asava have pledged to donate $100,000 to the North Texas Food Bank in conjunction with the launch of NTFB’s Indo-American Council (NTFB-IAC), which the couple will co-chair.

Their generous gift will help fund the North Texas Food Bank’s efforts to provide food assistance to thousands of food insecure individuals across the NTFB’s 13- county service area.

“Anna and I are passionate about the work of the North Texas Food Bank and we wanted to raise awareness around the issue of hunger that exists right here in North Texas,” said Raj Asava co-founder of the North Texas Food Bank’s Indo-American Council.

“We are excited to launch the NTFB-IAC to raise hunger awareness, community involvement, as well as channel the resources and contributions of the Indo-American community towards the mission of NTFB,” added Anna Asava.

Prominent members of the community have extended their support to this initiative. The NTFB-IAC has set its sights to fund one million meals per year.

“The Asavas are determined leaders. Having just one of them help us would be transformational, I count us doubly lucky to have them both by our side,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “Anna and Raj have a clear vision for the Indo-American Council and with their donation, they have already put 300,000 meals on the table for our hungry neighbors. I am certain that their shared enthusiasm and drive will be a draw for their peers, helping raise awareness for the critical issue of hunger and ultimately will help the NTFB reach our goal of providing 92 million meals by 2025.”

The Indo-American community in North Texas has grown exponentially over the years with nearly 200,000 people in our region. The North Texas Food Bank and the Asavas created the Indo-American Council as an avenue to mobilize this driven and diverse group in the fight against hunger.

For additional information on the Indo-American Council, please visit ntfb.org/IAC