"The kitchen is based on the principles of that the whole world is one single family," said Nupur Panjabi, Founder of the Anna Sudha Community Kitchen in Sterling, Virginia. Panjabi shared that she felt spiritually called to serve after her mother died. She witnessed the growing hunger during the pandemic and wanted to transform personal grief into a community movement rooted in dignity, love, and fresh food.
Northern Virginia counties—though relatively affluent—still face persistent pockets of hunger. Over a million people are estimated to be food insecure in the entire state.
The Fulcrum spoke with Panjabi on a recent episode of The Fulcrum Democracy Forum.
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Panjabi began cooking meals at home during the height of the COVID‑19 pandemic, when she saw food insecurity rise sharply across Northern Virginia. What started as a one‑woman effort quickly grew into a community‑wide movement.
"The community is responding in overwhelming ways to help. This is a wonderful experience that I've had in these challenging times to really see the resilience and the power of humanity," she said.
Panjabi's work was highlighted in The Fulcrum’s series The 50: Voices of a Nation, which explores how Americans across the country engage with democracy at the local level. In the Virginia episode, she explained the Kitchen's mission to “spread love through food."
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The Kitchen's name Anna Sudha means “food” and “nectar of love”, a reflection of Panjabi’s belief that nourishment is both physical and emotional. "It was the Indian upbringing, the love of the mother, the nourishment that we get from our mothers - that is what I wanted to be for the local population," Panjabi said.
Hugo Balta is the executive editor of The Fulcrum and the publisher of the Latino News Network
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