My Tasty Table is an organization that was established with the observation of food insecurity. All three co-founders have witnessed the effects of food insecurity, and My Tasty Table are motivated and inspired to assist families who suffer from food insecurity.

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Aanvi Goel and Riya Mehta are students at Xavier College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. Weekly, they volunteer at a homeless service and shelter near their school. The kids that Aanvi and Riya work with are children families impacted by food insecurity. Since these children are facing near-homelessness, their families do not have a substantial income to afford healthy meals. Because of this, a significant amount of these kids live an unhealthy lifestyle, as seen by health and wellness problems many face. The effects of socioeconomic status and income on both physical and mental health, as well as lifestyle, are apparent, and it is devastating to see low-income youth suffer from the effects of food insecurity.

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Karina Koppikar is a student at Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, Arizona. Throughout her time there, she has noticed the effects of a poor diet on several of her peers. The school lunch options seemed to show a clear preference towards unhealthy food, where a water or a salad cost around $4, but a soda or burger costs around $1. It was clear to Karina that there is an unambiguous lack of understanding around what it means to eat healthy and the benefits of doing so. Even in her own community, she watched kids suffer from lack of focus and energy due to poor diet. 

 

When Aanvi, Karina, and Riya collectively noticed the issue of food insecurity among low-income families, they knew they had to do something. They all decided to co-found My Tasty Table. My Tasty Table would teach low-income families how to make healthy meals through cooking classes and workshops. The organization would help provide low-income families simple ingredients to make these healthy meals. The organization would also raise awareness of the prevalent issue of food insecurity so that other individuals understand how this devastating issue impacts our community and what they can do to help.

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Aanvi, Karina, and Riya decided to expand their vision for this organization by applying to a non-profit called The Dragon Kim Foundation. The Dragon Kim Foundation is a non-profit that provides funding up to $5,000 and guidance for teen-led projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Aanvi, Karina, and Riya knew that applying to become fellows of the Dragon Kim Foundation would be great for their organization. After a competitive admissions process, The Dragon Kim Foundation offered the My Tasty Table team spots as Dragon Fellows. Without hesitation, Aanvi, Karina, and Riya accepted these spots. They are part of the DKF-7 Cohort of NV/AZ.

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Since March of 2023, the girls have taught over 60 classes, developed around 100 recipes, and taught 450 kids about the importance of healthy eating. Their impact only continues to grow.

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In July, My Tasty Table hosted a community dinner, where Riya, Karina, and Aanvi cooked a free three-course meal for 100 people while educating the guests on what My Tasty Table does. The event generated lots of support and raised $2000!

 

With your support, My Tasty Table has dreams of expanding the organization's impact and broadening its horizons

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