TV Personality Taniya Nayak Calls on Indian Americans to Support Efforts to End Childhood Hunger

Boston-based architect Taniya Nayak has been closely associated with No Kid Hungry, a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America. It is run by Share Our Strength, a nonprofit working to solve problems of hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. After 25 years of successfully investing in local nonprofits and helping find the best approaches to eradicating poverty and hunger, Share Our Strength launched No Kid Hungry in 2010.

Nayak, an architect, designer and a television personality, is seen on home improvement shows on HGTV and Food Network. She has also been associated with charity causes like No Kid Hungry. 

Last year, Nayak hosted ‘Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation,’ a culinary event to benefit No Kid Hungry. Held at the Cruiseport Terminal in Boston, the event featured the city’s notable and celebrity chefs, and raised over $140,000. 

This year, Nayak is supporting No Kid Hungry’s ‘Dine, Shop & Share’ fundraising initiative, to help ensure kids have access to meals this school year and every day. To raise awareness about the initiative, Nayak has hosted a 4-part video series which is available on No Kid Hungry’s social channels. In each episode, Nayak interviews an individual who is making a difference in the community by delivering food to kids. In the first episode, we meet Jaylon Kelly, a youth volunteer in rural Georgia. No Kid Hungry will release new episodes throughout September and October. 

Nayak is urging Indian Americans to participate in the fundraising campaign. “When we think of school supplies, food never crosses our mind,” the India born Nayak told American Kahani. “But it is probably the most essential supply for school. When you are hungry, you can’t focus.” Through Oct. 16, consumers can raise funds for the ‘Dine, Shop & Share‘ initiative by participating in select partner promotions or by sharing posts on social media. “This campaign is fun way to give back, doing things you normally do,” Nayak says. “It’s a win-win situation.” 

Owner of the  interior design firm, Taniya Nayak Design LLC., in Boston, Nayak has served as host and designer for a variety of HGTV mainstays like “Designed to Sell,” “Billion Dollar Block,” “House Hunters on Vacation,” and on Robert Irvine’s Food Network series, “Restaurant: Impossible.” She is also a judge on ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight,” and has been featured in magazines like Architectural Digest India, Design New England, People, Cosmopolitan, and Ladies Home Journal, among others. She has appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” ABC’s “Good Morning America” and “The View,” “Today” on NBC, CBS’ “The Early Show and “The Talk,” and “Rachael Ray.” 

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She is married to restaurateur Brian O’Donnell, and has designed all the businesses he owns. In 2004, Nayak was ranked in the top 10 of INDIA New England’s Business Women of the Year and nominated again in 2017. In April 2011, she was honored with an Excellence in Design award from ASID New England and serves on the advisory board for her alma mater Boston Architectural College. She has helped raise funds for Akshay Patra, an India-based NGO which works to eliminate classroom hunger by implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in the government schools and government-aided schools.

For a complete list of participating partners and promotions, and to learn all the ways to Dine, Shop and Share for No Kid Hungry, visit NoKidHungry.org/dineshopshare and follow #dineshopshare on social.