A Bollywood Star is Helping Donate 100,000 Plant-Based Meals to India

Bollywood star Genelia Deshmukh is leading a campaign that will deliver 100,000 plant-based meals to India. The actress aims to assist people in distress following India’s second wave of COVID-19 that has devastated the country with more than 30 million cases. Deshmukh announced her partnership with the non-profit Million Dollar Vegan to promote plant-based nutrition while supporting those facing severe food insecurity during the outbreak crisis.

“India has been severely affected by the pandemic and it is up to us to do whatever we can to help,” Deshmukh posted on Instagram. “Not only is the food delicious and nourishing for those who need it so desperately, but we are also introducing this idea that plant-based nourishment is the only way forward for this earth, the animals, and ourselves.”

Million Dollar Vegan is initiating this campaign to tackle the damages caused by this devastating second wave and hopes to draw awareness to the rapidly growing problems throughout the country. The global non-profit is donating meals to low-income families across the country as well as to essential workers and homeless shelters. The donation process comes immediately after India reached the 30 million mark, coinciding with a troubling vaccine shortage for citizens.

Deshmukh has been involved with activism and the plant-based movement for several years. Last year, the actress and her husband Riteish debuted their own plant-based meat brand. The vegan protein company Imagine Meats gained support from The Good Food Insitute India. The funding package will help the company expand its product lines and outreach, but Deshmukh and her company have yet to release details about the company's future.

Alongside Deshmukh, celebrities such as Joanna Lumley and Bryan Adams are working to provide meals for those affected by the pandemic in India. Million Dollar Vegan is teaming up with people to both raise awareness and increase the charity's outreach. The non-profit continues its dedication to humanitarian and animal rights causes while also spreading its plant-based mission through this campaign.

"Million Dollar Vegan is preparing and delivering a two-pronged miracle: bringing delicious and nourishing food to those who need it so desperately," Lumley told PBN. "And, introducing the idea that plant-based nourishment is the way forward for the planet and its people."

Million Dollar Vegan currently operates in 10 countries, working in seven different languages. The non-profits central mission statement is to inspire veganism in people globally, hoping to start a greater change in how food systems work across the world. The non-profit is supported by several big names including Alicia Silverstone, Evanna Lynch, and Peter Singer. In 2018, the charity was founded as a flash campaign to offer The Pope a million dollars for charity to go vegan for Lent.

The international non-profit also donated 300 meals to the Manchester vaccination center's staff and front-line workers. Million Dollar Vegan donated full plant-based meals to the staff members to assist in the harsh hours at vaccination sites as more vaccines become available for people.

"What we choose to buy and eat has a profound consequence on the world around us," Million Dollar Vegan's UK Campaign Manager. "It affects both our short term and long term health, the health of our planet, how long we will have workable antibiotics when another pandemic will come, and whether we will be able to slow down climate change. These are the biggest issues we face, but we are not helpless. Every one of us who is privileged enough to have food choices can play a part in protecting ourselves, our planet, and our future, simply by opting for more plant-based meals."