News & Blog

Bridge 2 Meal Wins Congressional App Challenge

Rep. Lauren Underwood has named Navya Shah of Neuqua Valley High School as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’s 14th District. Bridge 2 Meal — the food rescue app built by our founder — was recognized as a comprehensive, real-time logistics solution designed to streamline the food rescue process, effectively bridging the gap between food surplus and community hunger.

The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives. In its record-setting 2025 year, 394 Members of Congress hosted challenges in their districts, with more than 13,800 students submitting over 4,600 apps nationwide. Bridge 2 Meal stood out among all of these as the winning app in IL-14 — a testament to the real-world impact of Empower Futurewave Foundation’s technology-driven approach to food rescue.

Filling a Plate: Educating a Mind

Navya Shah, founder of Empower Futurewave Foundation, was invited to present at the Batavia Public Library on her journey building a nonprofit that addresses both food insecurity and education inequality. The presentation brought the community together to explore ways to reduce hunger and use skills to make a difference locally and globally.

The event highlighted how Empower Futurewave provided 6,000 meals to domestic violence and community shelters in 2025, with local restaurants partnering to donate unused fresh food delivered by a team of student volunteers. Attendees learned about volunteer opportunities and ways to support the foundation’s mission.

Naperville Student’s Nonprofit Delivers Food to Shelters, Offers English Classes

The Chicago Tribune profiled Navya Shah, 17-year-old founder of Empower Futurewave Foundation, and the organization’s impact on communities locally and globally. The article highlights how Empower Eats delivers approximately 150 meals every week to Hesed House in Aurora — one of the largest shelters in Illinois — with volunteers and business owners coordinating through the Bridge 2 Meal app.

The piece also covers Empower Futurewave’s global literacy programs, providing English and STEM courses to students across Mexico, Guatemala, Vietnam, and other countries — all led by youth volunteers.

By Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune / Naperville Sun