The stage is all set for this year’s annual AfriThrive Night of Excellence Gala, a signature event that brings together different stakeholders from the greater Baltimore-Washington DC, including philanthropists and business and community leaders from the same area to help fundraise for the non-profit organization.
Event organisers have confirmed that two popular Kenyan musicians are set to entertain the guests at the glamour event to be held on 20 May Hilton Washington DC Rockville Hotel under the theme “Celebrating the Present and Inspiring the Future”.
The artistes, MC Miggy Champ and Mr. Ong’eng’o will use the event to kick off their month-long US tour that will see them also stage shows in Baltimore, New Jersey and North Carolina, among other cities on the East Coast.
“We will be in Rockville, Maryland USA during the AfriThrive Gala,” Miggy Champ, one of the duo posted on his Facebook Page.
Mr. Ong’eng’o posted: “This round during our USA tour, we will start at Rockville, Maryland. The AfriThrive Gala.”
AfriThrive Inc is a non-profit organization based in Silver Spring, Maryland that supports the health and well-being of underserved and unserved immigrant and refugee communities in the Greater Baltimore-Washington DC region.
A million pounds of food
The organisation distributes fresh vegetables, fruits, and grains to African Immigrants and other underserved communities.
“This year’s gala is a very special event because it is coming just when we have achieved the one-million pound food distribution milestone which we never imagined could happen this soon and for us to have served the equivalent of 800,000 meals valued at $1.7 million is amazing,” says Dr. Truphena Choti, AfriThrive’s Founder and CEO.
“We are grateful to all our partners and the entire community for their goodwill because we would not have done this without their support and that is why we invite every stakeholder to be part of this year’s gala so that we celebrate everybody for their input thus far as we look forward to another of great things to come.”
The gala seeks to mobilize $100,000 towards facilitating AfriThrive’s Youth Engagement Program that aims to empower low-income African immigrant and minority youths in high school and college.
“The role of volunteers and donors has been the cornerstone of our rapid growth. As food costs soar beyond 10% due to inflation, the grocery bag we provide families does make a difference. Our program serves about 20,800 children and adults per year,” adds Dr. Choti.
According to Dr. Choti, AfriThrive’s steady growth and expansion of its support network has come with new challenges which they seek to address through increased resource allocation in their budget, hence the need for more fundraising and resource mobilisation.
“Our biggest challenge is lack of storage space. Our food distributions are organised outside, which means we must deliver even in extreme weather conditions such as winter or hot summer. Building infrastructural capacity to handle over 600,000 pounds of food is our priority.
“We are looking to grow our donor base to achieve this objective. Access to a warehouse space with cold storage will strengthen our food operations in Montgomery and Baltimore Counties.“
Youth empowerment
The 2022 edition of the event celebrated the transition of more than 20 youths from high school to local colleges and universities, giving rise to the need within the community and AfriThrive’s geographical reach.
AfriThrive, the only culturally-specific food provider in the DC region, started its Healthy Food Initiative in the summer of 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when food stores shut down and the majority of the immigrant communities were having challenges with accessing the right food for their families.
“Although traditional food pantries had canned foods, “they are not culturally-appropriate for the community we serve. We started looking for fresh vegetables, fruits and grains and making them available to families in need,” explains Choti.
DC Central Kitchen, Mary’s Little Lambs Learning Center in Baltimore, Manna Food Center and the Baltimore County government, among other entities are some of the partners who have stepped up to support AfriThrive in their bid to connect more families to free culturally-appropriate food.
