A Thanksgiving of Giving

By on December 9, 2021   /   All   /   Leave a comment

Kendra and Mary pictured with Target Hunger staff.

A Thanksgiving of Giving

November 20th was our special Thanksgiving Grocery Distribution. This year and last, the way we did our distribution shifted as we adjusted to new safety measures because of COVID. Almost 150

volunteers lined up at their appointed times ready to serve their community. We set up two loading zones at our warehouse on Shotwell Street. Volunteers drove up to receive a grocery set-up that included shelf-stable holiday staples, vegetables, eggs, and a turkey for each family. The full cars then set off to deliver to over 1,000 families in northeast and east Houston.

Some volunteers enjoyed the experience so much they returned for more.. Two of those volunteers were Kendra Francis and Mary McArthur, representing their group – Alpha Lambda Beta. When asked about the experience and what made them want to do two rounds of delivery, Kendra said “We chose to do it because we’re supposed to do community service but definitely this is a warm and welcoming experience. This is my second go round, I’m so happy just to see their faces. It was such a wonderful thing; I can’t wait to do it again!”

We asked Mary her thoughts on the experience, and she said “We encourage you guys to come out and be involved and be a volunteer for your community. It was a great feeling being out doing what we love to do and seeing all their faces being very appreciative for what they’re receiving today.” Together Kendra and Mary delivered to 16 families that Saturday morning!

Sandy, our CEO, and Sean, our volunteer manager, pictured with volunteers from Port Houston.

What We’re Grateful For

We are so appreciative of all the volunteers that served with us to ensure these families had a special Thanksgiving. Deliverers that morning were done by board members, regular volunteers, donors, new volunteers, and even a politician. Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia delivered and visited with four families receiving food in Magnolia Park.

We also want to express our deepest gratitude to The Embassy of the State of Qatar who underwrote the cost of the turkeys and Port Houston who underwrote the cost of the holiday dessert.

As we continue in this wonderful holiday season, the need continues. We are partnering with the Houston Food Bank’s Share Your Holiday to get more holiday meals to the families who need it most. As the year comes to a close, we hope you’ll continue to support the work and make a difference this holiday season!

[divider_top]

Tis’ the Season, for New Garden Vegetables

By on December 3, 2021   /   All   /   Leave a comment

Tis’ the Season, for New Garden Vegetables

The last green beans growing in the garden!

There has been a lot of harvesting and new planting since we last checked in on our gardens, so we wanted to update you! The summer and early fall brought LOTS of produce, including an abundance of okra and green beans. As the weather cools, our garden team and many volunteer groups have been hard at work preparing the garden for the winter months. This includes weeding the beds, pulling the summer plants, and planting seeds for winter.

Winter vegetables must be prepared for cold weather. Mark, our Garden Assistant, says that anything planted for winter has to be able to survive temperatures lower than Houston usually gets. This year that includes turnips, collards, beets, radishes, cabbage, carrots, and a community favorite – mustard greens. Small collards and radishes are already beginning to emerge in beds in small, tufted rows, while the carrots are just beginning to show their tops. Amidst the new growth remain the vining green bean plants, still giving small amounts of beans. Massive okra plants remain among the already large mustard greens.

Students from Cobb 6th grade learning in our Shotwell Garden.

The Garden Team has also been working to develop educational curriculum over the last year. They taught their first class last month to students from Cobb Sixth Grade Campus which is part of Galena ISD. The kids spent half their time learning in the garden and the other half volunteering in our warehouse. This fun, educational field trip was a great opportunity for the students to learn about food insecurity in our community and how to grow their own healthy food.

Recently planted radishes growing for the winter.

The changing of seasons is always refreshing. It’s a joy to enter the garden and see the natural shift in what’s growing. Gardening is an opportunity to reconnect with nature in our ever busier, technology led lives. If you’re looking to take a breath and get outside in this beautiful weather, we would love to have you join us in the garden! You can sign up to volunteer here – we always have something to do! We hope to see you in the garden soon!

[divider_top]

A Thanksgiving to Remember

By on November 3, 2021   /   All   /   Leave a comment

A Thanksgiving to Remember

What clients received last year in our Thanksgiving grocery distribution.

This year, as we did last year, Target Hunger is hosting a very special Thanksgiving Distribution. Families in the communities we serve struggle daily with the cost of groceries, so when special holidays come each year, it can be even more difficult to afford the special products associated with the holidays. Thanksgiving, the most food-centric holiday of the year, is certainly no different. Every family has their own special traditions on Thanksgiving, whether you have a big turkey dinner or a small non-bird focused meal, it’s always about food.

When food becomes difficult to afford, these holidays become less exciting and more anxiety-inducing. We believe that no family should have to stress about food during the holiday season, so we’re doing a very special Thanksgiving Grocery Delivery for our clients complete with a turkey!

Thanks to The Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States and other donors who will help provide Thanksgiving meals for 1,100 families in our northeast and east Houston service area. We are incredibly grateful for the continuous generosity. You too can get involved in providing hope to families in need!

Join us in Giving Hope

We are so excited to be doing this for the second year in a row, but we can’t do it without your help! We need 150 volunteer drivers to help us deliver food on Saturday, November 20th. This is a fun way to give back this holiday season alongside friends, family, and colleagues. All deliveries will be contactless to ensure everyone’s safety. Volunteers will commit to delivering food along a set route to about 4-5 families. It’s a simple moment that will make a huge difference to the families we serve.

Wondering what the day will look like? Here’s a brief outline of what you’ll do:

Volunteers ready to make their deliveries!

  1. Sign-up and commit to volunteering at a scheduled time.
  2. On Saturday, come to our warehouse (1260 Shotwell St) to pick up your assigned delivery route and food at your scheduled time between 9-11 am.
  3. Deliver food to your assigned families.
  4. Smile, because you just made someone’s Thanksgiving extra special!

It’s that simple! If you’re interested in volunteering, you can sign-up here! If you would like more information, please reach out to our Volunteer Manager, Sean Nickelberry at 281-913-9423 or volunteer@targethunger.org

We also couldn’t do it without the support of donors like you. Every dollar goes a very long way, especially during the holiday season. If you can’t volunteer with us, get involved by donating to help a family in need this holiday season! We are so appreciative of incredible donors like you!

[divider_top]