Dallas, TX, April 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) announced the formation of the Nakayoshi Initiative, the newest cultural affinity group to join the organization in its fight against hunger. The Nakayoshi Initiative is a volunteer-driven grassroots movement to channel resources and contributions of the Japanese community to fight hunger through the work of the North Texas Food Bank.

The Japanese affinity group celebrated its founding during an April 6, 2024, event at NTFB’s Perot Family Campus that featured State Sen. Nathan Johnson, Plano Mayor John Muns, NiHao Food Bank Initiative founder James Huang, HungerMitao founders Raj and Anna Asava, and Dr. Sam Shichijo, the honorary consul of Japan in Dallas who is spearheading the Nakayoshi Initiative.

“The North Texas Food Bank is excited about the formation of the Nakayoshi Initiative and so grateful for the commitment and support of the Japanese American community in looking for ways to contribute to addressing the complex issue of food insecurity,” said NTFB President and CEO Trisha Cunningham. “Nakayoshi roughly translates to ‘good friend,’ and we are excited about having this organization as friends of the Food Bank as we work together to close the hunger gap and strive for a hunger-free, healthy North Texas.”

Nakayoshi Initiative joins HungerMitao, Niaho Food Bank Initiative and SinHambre as the latest cultural affinity group. Nakayoshi will work to bring together the Japanese community in North Texas to increase awareness of food insecurity while supporting the NTFB’s mission of closing the hunger gap through advocacy, volunteerism and financial donations. Already, the group has scheduled a volunteer shift for later this month.

“Through the Nakayoshi Initiative, the Japanese community is helping bridge the hunger gap in North Texas,” said Dr. Sam Shichijo. “For the nearly 640,000 people facing hunger in North Texas, it is critical that our community come together to provide children, seniors and adults with a hunger free future.”

For more information on how to help make North Texas a hunger-free community, visit https://ntfb.org/get-involved/

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About the North Texas Food Bank:

The North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is a top-ranked non-profit hunger-relief organization that sources, packages and distributes food through a network of about 500 Partner Agencies and organizations across 13 North Texas counties. The organization also provides food to children, seniors and families through various direct-delivery programs, including mobile pantries.

In its last fiscal year, the NTFB provided access to more than 144 million nutritious meals or nearly 400,000 meals a day, a 5% percent increase over the prior year. The North Texas Food Bank is designated a 4-Star Exceptional organization by Charity Navigator based on its governance, integrity and financial stability, and is ranked 89^th on Forbes 2023 Top 100 Charities in America. NTFB is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. For more information, www.ntfb.org.

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• Nakayoshi Initiative Joins the NTFB in the Fight Against Hunger