Yearly archive for 2023

Mission Moment: Navigation Services

Lucy* loves her new glasses and is so thankful she can see during class!

Alisson is currently taking ESL classes at Community Family Centers (CFC) a referral partner of Target Hunger. After class, Alisson spoke to her teacher and mentioned how she was in need of food for her family. She also specifically mentioned how her young daughter Lucy* was struggling in school and needed glasses as she could not see the board in class. Alisson’s teacher recommended her to Target Hunger and gave her specific contact information for bilingual CHW Navigator, Anna Cantu.

After doing an intake on the family, Target Hunger was able to enroll the family in the monthly Pantry Program and referred Alisson’s young daughter to Prevent Blindness Texas for a free eye exam. Lucy* received a comprehensive eye exam with free glasses and can now see the board at school!

Alisson has also signed up for the United Way Integrated Client Journey (ICJ) where she is getting assistance from the Navigation Team to continue her ESL classes and receive job training. During the intake, it was noted how Alisson was also struggling to make ends meet for her children and did not have funds for school supplies or uniforms. Using the grant funds from the new United Way Financial Assistance Program (UW-FAP), Target Hunger was able to provide Alisson a giftcard to Walmart where she was able to purchase supplies and uniforms for her children.

Alisson and her family have expressed immense gratitude for the assistance received from Target Hunger and for the positive impact in their quality of life. This is a true mission moment on how one inquiry for food can open doors beyond the food box to improve the lives of Houston families!

*name changed for privacy

Introducing our latest addition to the Target Hunger team – Jonathan Foreman! We’re thrilled to welcome him as our new Assistant Director of Food Service Operations. Jonathan will take the helm of our exceptional warehouse team, overseeing the day-to-day operations in the warehouse. The dedicated individuals on this team are the linchpin of our services, actively contributing to every Food Fair, packing of boxes, and making deliveries. We’re truly excited to have Jonathan as part of our staff!

We asked Jonathan to answer a few questions so that you can get to know him a little better!

Q: Where do you most want to visit in the world?

A: Alaska for the Northern Lights.

Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?

A: Becoming a father

Q: What is one thing you could not go a day without?

A: Something sweet. I absolutely love sweets.

Q: If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be?

A: Anthony Bourdain, Malcolm James McCormick, Jack Johnson

Q: What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?

A: Working out and sparring

Q: What’s your favorite movie?
A: The Prestige

Q: What is on your bucket list?
A: Jumping out of a plane in a flying squirrel suit through mountains

Q: Which famous person in history would you want to spend the day with?

A: Alexander The Great

Q: If you could win an Olympic medal for any sport, real or fake, what would it be?

A: Boxing. The one thing I wish I went after younger.

Let’s extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to Jonathan! Target Hunger is excited to have him on the team, and we eagerly anticipate witnessing his leadership as he steers our warehouse team towards making an even greater impact within our community.

A family receives their monthly pantry box.

Houston has a hunger problem.  Across our city, many of our neighbors lack access to nutritious food.  It is part of, and grows out of, a wider set of challengesmany of our neighbors face—access to health care, affordable housing, and job training.  Similar to how we tackled chronic homelessness, in order to solve our hunger problem, Houston needs to comprehensively attack its causes.  Target Hunger is at the epicenter of that fight and is uniquely positioned to help win it.

Target Hunger is one of the largest distributors of food relief in Houston, helping those in some of the most under-served and vulnerable parts of our city.  Our team puts boots on the ground in these neighborhoods, seeing first-hand the challenges and needs of our neighbors and, through our Navigation Services, connecting them to job training, nutritional education, and critical social services.  By both providing immediate hunger relief and tackling its root causes, we are helping our neighbors build an enduring path out of hunger.

A Postpartum Mom Struggling to Provide

Stephany shops for her family at her monthly pantry distribution.

One of those neighbors is Stephany, a mom of 2 rambunctious little boys – ages 4 and 1. She also lives with, and cares for, her disabled mother. When having her youngest son, she was out of work with unpaid maternity leave. Her dependent family relied on SNAP to assist in covering basic costs. It was during this time that she found out about, and joined, the Target Hunger pantry program. The food received through the program greatly helped by supplementing what she was purchasing with her SNAP benefits.

Stephany has since returned to work and is still trying to pay back expenses she accrued during her maternity leave, on top of the ongoing expenses she currently has. As a result of returning to work, she no longer receives the SNAP benefits her family still greatly needs. The continued assistance from the pantry program has given her and her family a reprieve during this time of struggle. “It’s been hard. I’m struggling to pay back everything from the months I didn’t work. We’re struggling, so the pantry program means a lot to us.”

This summer, Stephany and her boys have also benefitted from being a part of the Summer Breakfast & Lunch program, in addition to their monthly pantry box. “I’m not able to buy so much milk, so the boys are able to get the food they need.” Stephany said, with a giggle, her boys loved the food. “We appreciate all your help and support. Even if you don’t think it’s a lot, it means a lot to us.”

This Hunger Action Month, you can help families like Stephany’s receive the assistance they need during moments of hardship. By donating today, you can help Stephany and other struggling moms like her get access to nutritious, fresh food for themselves and their children.

We hope you’ll join us today in the fight against hunger in Houston.