A food truck sponsored by the Nihao Food Bank Initiative was honored recently for its ongoing efforts to distribute meals in the region throughout the holiday season.
The food truck was recognized by the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) at the beginning of the month during a special event in Plano, according to the organization’s press release.
The announcement of this food truck sponsored by the Nihao Food Bank Initiative comes shortly after the organization was named the Top Community Group for raising resources during the NTFB’s annual peanut butter campaign. The organization raised over $25,000 and donated more than 5,000 pounds of peanut butter. This was the second year Nihao took part in the peanut butter drive.
The Nihao Food Bank Initiative is a volunteer-driven local project to raise awareness about hunger and provide hunger relief in North Texas. It was launched in May 2021 by Jane Li, James Huang, and Bing Xie.
Xie shared that the food truck will also act as further publicity for the organization, which strives to foster greater community engagement among Chinese Americans.
“We are excited to unveil the Nihao truck co-branded with North Texas Food Bank. This traveling billboard will highlight how the Chinese American community is partnering with NTFB to provide access to nutritious food for the more than 700,000 people facing hunger in North Texas and serves as a visual reminder of what community groups can do in the fight against hunger when they come together to make an impact,” Xie said in the press release. “For the Nihao members, it is just part of our continued effort to mobilize and engage the already civic-minded Chinese American community.”
Nihao has raised over $183,000 since launching and mobilized more than 475 members. It has volunteered at community events, in the warehouse, and with fundraising efforts.
For instance, it participated in the recent Lantern Festival and Dragon Boat Race for the NTFB held in Irving early last month.
The organization has also put in 2,100 hours with the NTFB. The NTFB President and CEO Trisha Cunningham stated that Nihao had provided the food bank with significant support since it launched.
“We are so grateful for the support of organizations like Nihao that recognize the growing issue of hunger and look for innovative ways to contribute to the organizations addressing this complex problem,” Cunningham said. “In just a short time they have made a significant impact in our mission of hunger relief and are mentoring the next generation of community leaders through their Youth Ambassadors program.”
The Youth Ambassadors program launched by Nihao is one of its five pillars, as its website shares, alongside volunteering, food drives, donations, and memberships. It now has 96 dedicated high school students who volunteer and fundraise for the NTFB.
