OUR MISSION
At Food to Flourish, we aim to increase access to nutritious foods in our communities by empowering our local food banks and their recipients. We are based in Montgomery County, MD and Bethlehem, PA, but operate nationwide. We assist our communities by advocating, reaching out to food banks in order to assess their needs, establishing seed exchange programs across public libraries, as well as various other national initiatives!
MEET
THE TEAM!
Co - Founder
Barkha Bishnoi
Barkha is a senior at Richard Montgomery High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. Her passion lies in ensuring and expanding opportunities to achieve nutrition security and exploring its connection to maintaining sustainable food systems amidst the global climate crisis. As co-founder of Food to Flourish, she is excited to work with other like-minded individuals to create innovative solutions that make nutritious and wholesome food readily available for all. Besides her passion for furthering food access, she also enjoys public speaking and crocheting!
Co - Founder
Madeline Yang
Madeline is currently a junior at Moravian Academy Upper School in Bethlehem, PA. She has always been passionate about cooking and baking since she was young, but has now discovered her interest in the correlation between the mind-gut connection, which is tied into the importance of good nutrition. Through this passion, she is eager to work as the co-founder of Food to Flourish in order to expand the pathways in which her community can access whole, nutritious foods. In addition to Madeline’s interest in expanding food access, she enjoys dancing, writing and recipe testing, as well as playing with her dog!
Chief of Staff
Marshall Friedman
Hi, my name is Marshall and I'm a sophomore at Poolesville High School. I joined Food to Flourish because I wanted to learn more about food insecurity and because I'm passionate about advocacy in my county. Some hobbies I have are going to the gym, writing, and cycling.
Chief of Staff Dep.
Martina Beringar
Hi! I’m Martina Beringar. I’m in 10th grade and I go to Northwest High School. I joined Food to Flourish because I want to help people get access to food! I like to swim and cook too!
Secreatry
Jayden Sivalli
Hi my name is Jayden! My pronouns are they/them, I'm a sophomore at Wheaton Highschool and I love playing cello and crocheting!
Chief of Staff Dep.
Addison Teeters
Hi! I’m Addy Teeters and I am a 11th grader at Walter Johnson High School. I joined Food to Flourish because I wanted to give back to my community and help all have access to healthy food as well as educate others on the importance of nutritious foods. In my free time I enjoy playing the drums and softball!
Chief of Staff Dep.
Seth Mendelow
Seth Mendelow is a high school student at Trevor Day School in New York City. He has earned both his Food Safety Certification and Barista Certification. He enjoys connecting with others and believes deeply in the power of food to bring people together and create meaningful, joyful experiences. He is an active volunteer with several organizations addressing food insecurity. Each Saturday, he rescues surplus food for Gotham Food Pantry and delivers it to Carver Houses, a public housing development. He also bakes and delivers birthday cakes for children in foster care through For Goodness Cakes. These experiences have reinforced his belief that food is not only sustenance but also a source of dignity, celebration, and community. Beyond his passion for food, Seth is a competitive cyclist and a certified bicycle mechanic.
Social Media Manager
Kayalvizhi Vinoth
Hey! My name is Kayal and I am the social media director for FTF !! I'm a sophomore at Poolesville High School and I like swimming, writing, and drawing.
Social Media Dep.
Annie Hotz
Hi! My name is Annie and I am a 10th grader at Moravian Academy. Outside of school, I enjoy theater, singing, and crochet. I joined Food to Flourish because I am passionate about providing nutritious food choices to people in the community.
Social Media Dep.
Gloria Dwemoh
Hey! My name is Gloria, I’m currently a sophomore at Northwest High School. My hobbies are photography and running! I joined Food to Flourish because I want to help increase access of healthy and nutritious food to my community.
Social Media Manager
Anousha Farooqui
I’m Anousha! I’m currently a junior at Quince Orchard HS. I’m a competition dancer! I joined FTF for the opportunity to educate others on the importance of increasing nutrition across Montgomery County.
Outreach Director
Shailey Vadgama
I’m Shailey! I'm currently a junior at Richard Montgomery high school. I joined Food to Flourish because I am passionate about combatting food insecurity among our community in order for all of us to thrive together. I love to read and listen to music in my free time!
Social Media Dep.
Leah Wang
Hi! My name is Leah Wang, and I’m an 8th grader at Shady Grove Middle School. I joined Food to Flourish because I care deeply about community health and believe everyone deserves access to nutritious food. I’m passionate about using creativity and innovation to solve real-world problems, whether through STEM projects, entrepreneurship, or advocacy. I also love creating and editing videos, making short films, and exploring the world through photography. Outside of that, I enjoy drawing, running, and playing basketball and volleyball. I'm excited to help make a difference and grow as a leader through Food to Flourish!
Outreach Director
Emily Liu
Hey! I’m Emily and I'm a junior at Richard Montgomery. I love dancing, taking naps, and going out with my friends. I’m so excited to be in Food to Flourish because I am passionate about bringing good food to all and creating access to nutritious food for everyone!
Outreach Dep.
Mariam Mohammed
Mariam Mohammed is a sophomore at Walter Johnson High School. Outside of school, she loves to sing, participate in theatre, and binge-watch Netflix. She is passionate about Food to Flourish because she wants to raise awareness about food insecurity and is looking forward to helping make a difference.
Social Media Dep.
Annie Hotz
Hi! My name is Annie and I am a 10th grader at Moravian Academy. Outside of school, I enjoy theater, singing, and crochet. I joined Food to Flourish because I am passionate about providing nutritious food choices to people in the community.
Outreach Dep.
Namuun Tugsjargal
I'm Namuun! I’m a junior at WJ. I enjoy playing volleyball and listening to music- some of my favorite artists are Lana Del Ray, Drake, and the Weeknd. Joining Food to Flourish (FTF) was a natural choice for me, as I am passionate about making a positive impact on my community’s health and well-being by increasing access to nutritious food.
Outreach Dep.
Laya Kudaravalli
Laya is currently a sophomore at Thomas S. Wootton High School. Her work in the outreach and social media departments of Food to Flourish displays her passion in ensuring that everyone has access to food. Outside of Food to Flourish, she enjoys singing, playing guitar, and baking.
Fundraising Director
Anshani Rao
Hi I’m Anshani Rao, I’m a junior at Richard Montgomery. I love dancing and public speaking. I joined Food to Flourish to spread awareness and play my part in making an impactful change in society!
Fundraising Dep.
Claire Huang
Claire is a sophomore at Poolesville High School in Montgomery County, MD. She joined Food to Flourish to be able to aid and assist in a role that aims to make food accessibility a priority for everyone in our communities. Apart from her interest in advocating for nutrition and health, she enjoys singing, playing badminton, and catching up on Netflix!
Fundraising Dep.
Allison Andreyev
Hello, I am Allison a sophomore at Wootton HS. I joined Food to Flourish so I can give back to the community through nutritious meals! Some of my hobbies include baking, knitting and painting :)
Policy Director
Atharv Shete
Hi guys! My name is Atharv Shete and I am a global sophomore at Poolesville High School. I’ve been involved in advocacy for a long time from ventures as the MCJC Finance Director to now Policy Director of Foods to Flourish. Outside of advocacy I’m a Boy Scout in Troop 1397 and I’m a member of my schools wrestling team. I’m excited to get to work with everyone and help solve problems such as food insecurity in my county.
Policy Dep.
Lily Razavi
Hi! My name is Lily Razavi! I am a tenth grader at Moravian Academy Upper School, where I am involved in the cross country, swim, and track teams, the speech and debate team, and our student council. I joined the Food to Flourish team because its focus on nutritious food accessibility in our communities is underrecognized, but there are so many people - too many people - who lack it.
Policy Dep.
Dhruv Unnikrishnan
Hi, I'm Dhruv Unnikrishnan. I go to Wootton High School, and I joined FTF because I believe in their mission of pursuing nutrition and improving human life through nutrition. My hobbies are tennis, research, and debate.
Policy Dep.
Grace Chi
My name is Grace Chi, and I attend Poolsville High School as a 9th grader. I enjoy playing tennis, reading, and playing chess! I joined FTF because as I volunteered at various food pantries over the course of the summer, I noticed the amount of people who were unaware of different myths about nutrition, and I want to contribute to educating those people.
Policy Director
Shibani
Hey there it’s Shibani! I’m a freshman at Richard Montgomery High School with a passion for leadership, advocacy, serving, and bonding with others. Whether it’s fundraisers, food drives, or anything in between, I love giving back when possible and helping those who may not be able to speak for themselves! My passions include martial arts, writing, debate, SGA/countywide organizations, traveling, and being with loved ones. It’s also possible I’m on the couch watching Max Dowman highlights and listening to Rauw Alejandro.
Blog Writer
Chloé Cheng
Chloé is currently a sophomore at The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ. She joined Food to Flourish as a blog writer to be able to expand awareness about issues like food insecurity with her writing. On top of her passion for advocacy through writing, Chloé enjoys playing tennis, singing and songwriting, and watching crime shows with her family.
Outreach Deputy
Anagha Namboodiri
My name is Anagha Namboodiri and I am a junior at Northwest High School. In my free time, I enjoy playing the violin! I am excited to start working with Food to Flourish this year so I can help make an impact on our community and help those in need!
Policy Deputy
Sanvi Lanke
Hi! My name is Saanvi Lanke, and I’m an 8th grader at Shady Grove Middle School. I joined Food to Flourish because I’ve seen firsthand the powerful impact access to fresh food can make, especially through my volunteer work at local food pantries this past summer. I’m passionate about advocacy and policy, and I’m excited to help drive change with Food to Flourish. Outside of advocacy, I love running, playing volleyball, practicing karate, and participating in debate!
