New York City, NY, USA: The New York chapter of the Telugu Association of North America successfully carried out a food collection drive along with the distribution of food items and toys for Veterans of Foreign Wars service members and their families.
On Sunday, December 21, the TANA New York team organized two significant community welfare initiatives aimed at supporting local residents and military families.
Through the TANA Food Drive initiative, nearly 750 pounds of essential food supplies were contributed to the Suffolk Y JCC Community Food Pantry in Camack, New York. This generous contribution provided much-needed assistance to families facing food insecurity in the area. In addition, TANA conducted a separate outreach program at the Veterans of Foreign Wars center in Wheatley Heights, New York, where food packages, toys, and school materials were distributed to the children of military personnel. The program created a joyful and uplifting experience for the families involved.
Both initiatives were conducted under the leadership of TANA President Naren Kodali, with strong support from Community Service Coordinator Sai Bollineni and Special Projects Coordinator Naga Panchumaruthi. The programs were efficiently managed by TANA New York Regional Coordinator Srinivas Bhartvarappu. Programme coordination was handled by Dilip Musunuru, Prasad Koi, Sucharitha Ananthaneni, Rajitha Kalluri, Jitendra Yarlagadda, Srinivas Nadella, Rajesh Kadiyala, and Kaleem Mohammed.
The organizing team extended special appreciation to the young volunteers who played a vital role in the success of the events, including Ashrita Koi, Sharan Sai Bhartavarapu, Geetika Challa, Rajith Reddy, Ramya Reddy, Lohitaksh Sai Nadella, Vishnu Sai Ashrit Rachakunta, Sudhiksha Musunuru, Suhas Musunuru, Samanvita Minnekanti, Ariz Mohammed, and Aira Mohammed. TANA also expressed sincere gratitude to community leader Prasad Kambhampati for his significant contribution to the food distribution effort, as well as to Sirisha Thunuguntla and Sailaja Challapalli for their continued support.
Staff members and volunteers from the Suffolk Y JCC Food Pantry, along with VFW service members and their families, conveyed their heartfelt thanks to TANA for its assistance. In a statement, TANA New York Regional Coordinator Srinivas Bharavarapu emphasized that the organization remains dedicated to creating a positive impact by working collectively with the mission of serving the community.
