Akshaya Patra takes up COVID crisis challenge by hosting a virtual gala

New York: With the national lockdown in India on March 24th and its experience in food preparation and distribution, the Akshaya Patra Foundation has been swift in addressing the food crisis made worse due to the pandemic with the help of its 55 kitchens nationally.

Since March 24th, Akshaya Patra has served over 5 million free meals to marginalized communities, primarily migrant and wage workers. Along with cooked meals, Akshaya Patra has distributed 7,000 food kits – essential grocery boxes that can feed 1 person for 21 days. Currently operating in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the organization is quickly working to include more states and more meals for those hit hardest by COVID-19.

The cost per food box that feeds two people for 21 days is $25.00.  In the US, Akshaya Patra planned and executed 40 benefit events in 2019. With the possibility of not being able to have live events, changing course by planning out the technology, the logistics and using the tremendous opportunity to rally the community together, the organization has finalized a virtual gala, open to anyone on the globe. 

The Virtual Gala scheduled for May 3rd at 5.30 pm EST is unprecedented and unheard of and hosted by Akshaya Patra’s Boston Chapter team and donors. The gala features two keynote speakers. Prof. Ashish Jha (Prof. at Harvard Chan School of Public Health) is much sought after in the media as an expert on COVID-19 and Prof. Kash Rangan, who also teaches at HBS, and is fully familiar with Akshaya Patra.

The CEO of the Akshaya Patra Foundation USA Vandana Tilak said, “as everything on the Planet is going through a metamorphosis, we ourselves need to change how we view things and operate under the new conditions, without giving up our commitment to share what we have with those less fortunate. Our children need to be fed and our fundraising will not stop”

For more information: www.foodforeducation.org

To register for the virtual gala, email to [email protected].

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