Join Us in Rooting for the Future
Dear Friends,
Target Hunger is excited to launch the Rooting for the Future Capital Campaign, an $8.5 million effort to create the Target Hunger Campus and Education Center. The project will acquire, improve, expand, and increase the resiliency of our current facility, a leased warehouse at 1260 Shotwell Street, to better provide direct food assistance, educational opportunities, job training, and Navigation Services to low-income residents residing in northeast and east Houston, which are some of the poorest communities in our city.
UPDATE 1:
On November 30, 2023, Target Hunger officially purchased the Campus located at 1260 Shotwell Street!
UPDATE 2:
We’re excited to share that we’ve met the Mabee Challenge, thanks to your support! As of July 2024, we’re approaching the end of the Rooting for the Future Campaign. The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation has granted us $500,000, a strong endorsement of our efforts to expand food assistance, educational programs, and social services for low-income residents in northeast and east Houston. To secure this grant, we needed to raise $817,208 by October 2024.
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Because of your support, we are building a transformational model for hunger relief with professional, caring staff; reliable, healthy food; and powerful life changing collaborations designed to break the cycles of generational poverty in Houston’s most disadvantaged communities.
Thank you for joining us to root for the future of our community and allow us to establish permanent roots in northeast/east Houston!
Steve Barrett, Capital Campaign Co-Chair
Charles Caldwell, Capital Campaign Co-Chair
Sandra Wicoff, CEO
Campaign Goals
Connect More People to Meals
Build a new onsite Pantry; enhance warehouse and transportation logistics to expedite unloading, packaging, and loading, which will connect more people to more food.
Increased capacity to serve up to 3,000 more individuals per month
Creation of a safe, welcoming campus for our 1,500+ volunteers per year
Address Root Causes of Food Insecurity
Build a new Education Center that will include the new Pantry, providing access to groceries as well as dedicated space for navigation consults, workshops, and training, with the aim of encouraging stability for individuals and families.
Ability to serve 4,800 clients annually in the Education Center
Dedicated, collaborative space for Navigation Services to allow each Navigator to reach 600 people per year to connect families to important resources and services
Increased capacity to work with up to 20 job training employees and interns from SERJobs, AARP, UHD, and more
Create a Resilient Infrastructure
Accessible, safety-enhanced, and hardened facilities will allow us to serve at all times and especially during times of disaster.
Ready to respond to increased community need for emergency food services.
ADA compliant facility will ensure accessibility to all.
Investing in the Future
The Campaign will allow Target Hunger to acquire the 1970s campus and land, and then enhance, update, and expand the existing spaces to make them the most operationally efficient and effective for our mission. Target Hunger moved into this facility 3 years ago after Hurricane Harvey damaged its previous facility and home for nearly 20 years beyond repair.
Acquisition
1260 Shotwell, 1.3 acres of land, 2.5 miles east of downtown Houston
Improve & Expand
Main Warehouse: 11,927 sq. ft. facility housing food distribution and administrative offices
NEW 1,880 sq. ft. Warehouse expansion for food storage
NEW 3,400 sq. ft. Education Center with on-site pantry, 30-seat classroom, a large flexible teaching space, Navigation consult rooms, and state of the art technology
Outdoor Urban Garden and NEW Pavilion for enhanced volunteer experience and community gatherings
Increase Resiliency & Hardening of the Facility
Upgraded roof, parking lot, fire alarm, and fencing that augment existing features like a power generator, water cistern, on-site freezer/refrigeration, and an 18-wheeler truck turn-around which will ensure continued operation during disasters
Campaign Budget
Campaign Leadership
Steve Barrett, Chair
Sharon Asinelli
Sheryl Barrett
Charles Caldwell
Stephan Fairfield
Alan Henson
Pam & George Laflin
Kelley Lang
Sam Louis
Paul Ngo
Demethra Orion
Ronnie Shields
Thank You for Rooting for the Future
For questions regarding the Rooting for the Future Capital Campaign, please reach out to Carrie Grzelak, Director of Development at (832) 767-1677 ext. 107.
