USIFA is supporting a pilot partnership with the World Food Movement to address food insecurity in the Washington, DC region. The initiative draws on the Akshaya Patra model of large-scale, cost-effective community nutrition developed in India, adapting it to local needs. The program provides meals to people across the region, including weekend meal kits for students at Title I schools and warm, nutritious meals for community college students facing food insecurity and individuals experiencing homelessness.

The partnership reflects a central idea in USIFA’s work: that approaches proven in one country can serve communities in another. 

It offers the following strengths:

• The program strengthens communities through direct support. When children arrive at school well-nourished, when college students have reliable access to healthy meals, and when neighborhoods can depend on consistent, nutritious food, communities gain the foundation they need to thrive.
• The program supports and bolsters the next generation. For community college students balancing employment, family, and tuition, reliable access to nutrition is directly tied to retention and academic success. This initiative supports better and more economically secure futures, an investment with measurable returns.
• The program drives measurable change and an opportunity to scale. This results-driven initiative in Washington, DC, offers corporate partners a high-impact, visible engagement opportunity while serving as a scalable, evidence-based model for expansion to other U.S. markets.

 The U.S.-India Friendship Alliance (USIFA) seeks anchor funding to bring this initiative to scale through the World Food Movement. The 12-month, Washington, DC pilot will deliver: 

• Recognition through program branding as well as USISPF, USIFA, and World Food Movement events and outreach.
• 15,000 fresh, hot meals and 7,500 weekend nutrition kits (45,000 meal equivalents) across Title I schools, community colleges, and shelter partners 
• Structured staff volunteer opportunities for corporate partners 
• Results-driven impact reporting aligned with ESG frameworks 

Reach out to friendshipalliance@usispf.org to learn more.