- By Mabel Pais
Experience an unforgettable night of purpose and music at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) this month! Join NJPAC for the World Food Movement’s musical fundraiser featuring the internationally acclaimed vocalist Abby V (Abhishek Venkatachalam) in the Victoria Theater on Sunday, September 28, 2025 starting at 4 pm.
This special evening showcases Abby V’s extraordinary artistry alongside a powerful mission: providing hot, nutritious meals to college students and food-insecure individuals in New Jersey and New York.
WFM MISSION
The World Food Movement (WFM) has been established to provide food assistance to students and food-insecure communities in the United States of America. This initiative is inspired by The Akshaya Patra Foundation, the world’s largest NGO-run school lunch program in India serving fresh, nutritious meals to millions of children every day.
LAUNCH
WFM is set to formally launch its feeding program in the US on September 28, 2025. The inauguration event will be held at the Victoria Theatre, NJPAC in Newark, New Jersey. This organization has been established to fulfill the great desire of Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of ISKCON (The International Society for Krishna Consciousness), to ensure that no one goes hungry.
Due to various factors, including rising living expenses, many are forced to choose between food and other essentials. WFM will focus on addressing hunger and food insecurity among students and food-insecure individuals across the country.
The event will be graced by Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa, Vice Chairman, Dr. Siva Sivaram, National Board Member and other important members of the Foundation. Eminent personalities from various parts of the country are also expected to be present at the launch.
AKSHAYA PATRA – SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP
WFM builds on the vast experience and expertise of Akshaya Patra, which has contributed tremendously to alleviating classroom hunger among students by providing them with fresh, nutritious school lunches. It has also played a significant role in developing practical and scalable solutions to combat hunger, improving food and nutrition security in India since 2000.
Akshaya Patra has grown from its humble origins to currently feeding 2.3 million children in India every day. The unique vision of this program is that “no children should be deprived of education because of hunger.” The Foundation has addressed classroom hunger effectively and has become a cornerstone of nutritional and educational support for children. Akshaya Patra has demonstrated that innovation and technology can bring about a social transformation when driven by compassion.
Akshaya Patra is known for its state-of-the-art, ISO (International Organization for Standardization)-certified kitchens, which can cook up to 100,000 meals a day. Its efficient systems and processes have become case studies at leading international institutions, including Harvard University, Stanford University, and London Business School. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton have expressed their appreciation for the scale, quality and use of advanced technologies in Akshaya Patra’s feeding programs.
INTERNATIONAL REACH
The organization gradually extended its services outside India and established its first international kitchen in the United Kingdom in 2020. Since then, over 800,000 meals have been served from this kitchen to children, university students, and individuals in homeless shelters.
Beyond school feeding, Akshaya Patra has also been actively involved in homeless and emergency feeding, supporting millions of people in India and abroad. The Foundation’s international humanitarian aid includes food relief to people affected by wars, earthquakes, floods and other natural calamities in regions such as Nepal, Turkey, and Ukraine.
WFM VISION
Inspired by Akshaya Patra’s overwhelming success, the World Food Movement (WFM) has brought this transformative model to the US, and commenced feeding initiatives in New Jersey, New York, and Washington D.C., with a vision to expand nationwide.
Sri Chanchalapathi Dasa said, “We are happy to launch World Food Movement in the US to serve the students and other communities of this wonderful country. We believe it is essential for citizens to be well-nourished to thrive and engage effectively in nation-building. We are committed to promoting well-being, restoring dignity and making a difference in people’s lives. We invite you to participate in this event and join us in our mission to ensure food for all. We will be happy to work with the government and its administrative agencies, philanthropists, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and individuals to provide abundant, nutritious meals and contribute to building a healthier and happier nation.”
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
4:00 PM – Meet & Greet with Abby V and HG Chanchalapathi Dasa, Co-founder and Vice Chairman of World Food Movement, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and Co-mentor and Vice Chairman of Global Hare Krishna Movement. (light refreshments will be available)
5:00 PM – Musical Concert by Abby V and Launch of the World Food Movement.
Note: Please be seated in the auditorium by 4:45 pm.
TICKETS
To purchase tickets for the event, visit njpac.org/event/melody-with-a-mission.
Your ticket brings hope, dignity and opportunity to those in need — while you enjoy one of today’s most dynamic, soulful voices.
ABBY V (Abhishek Venkatachalam) – MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Abby V is a JUNO Award nominee for Best Global Album (2025) and winner of Astro International Superstar, a televised worldwide reality singing competition with contestants from all over the world. . This multi-award-winning Canadian-Indian singer-songwriter, composer, and producer from Toronto has captivated global audiences with his unique fusion of Indian classical, Western classical, Pop, R&B, Hindi and Tamil music. He’s trained in Carnatic, Hindustani, and Western classical traditions. He’s contributed to film soundtracks like ‘Think Originals’ and ‘Indian 2.’ Having collaborated extensively, on stage and in the studio, with numerous world-renowned musicians, Abby has also composed, arranged and produced numerous film scores, soundtracks, albums and singles over his career. His debut solo album titled ‘First of All’ – consisting of 8 original songs in English, Hindi and Tamil – released in 2019 to great commercial and critical acclaim.
Abby V’s viral sensation “73 Ragas with Abby” garnered international acclaim, establishing him as a trailblazer in contemporary music who bridges cultures through his craft. His viral video ‘73 Ragas,’ where he sang 73 Indian classical ragas in a row, showcases his vocal skills and knowledge. Watch him sing ‘73 Ragas’ – (both Hindustani and Carnatic) back-to-back; live and on-the-spot, as the interviewer follows him around the house! – https://youtu.be/-KK1ZsK6FxI.
He fondly attributes and is grateful for his success to his gurus, Smt. Ranjani-Gayatri, Smt. Raji Gopalakrishnan and his dad, Venky Iyer for helping him discover the bliss that is Indian Classical Music!
The World Food Movement (WFM)
The World Food Movement is dedicated to empowering community college students and food-insecure individuals in the United States — delivering fresh, wholesome meals that foster well-being, dignity and opportunity. WFM strives to ensure easy access to nutritious food for people in need, with a vision that no one should go hungry. Inspired by The Akshaya Patra Foundation — the world’s largest non-profit school lunch program, which has served nearly 5 billion meals globally in the past 25 years — WFM draws on this transformative model and extensive experience to fulfill food and nutrition security needs in America.
Mabel Pais writes on Spirituality, Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Health and Wellness, Education, Business, and Cuisine.
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