Houston Food Bank
Encyclopedia
Houston Food Bank is a private non-profit organization founded in 1982 in Houston, Texas
that provides food and other products to more than 400 hunger relief agencies in southeast Texas. The Houston Food Bank’s goal is to distribute more than 40 million pounds of product annually to help feed 53,000 people everyday. The organization's goals are reached through the community support of volunteering, food drives, monetary donations, and partnerships.
As a certified member of Feeding America, the Houston Food Bank distributes nonperishable and perishable food items to more than 400 hunger relief agencies in 18 southeast Texas counties. Its network charities include servicing church and community food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters for the homeless and abused, and nutrition sites for children and elderly.
In 2008, Houston Food Bank distributed 36 million pounds of food to its partner agencies. Realizing that nearly 900,000 people, including one in four children live in poverty throughout southeast Texas, the Food Bank embarked on a capital campaign with the goal to triple food distribution to 120 million pounds annually by 2018. Later that year, the Houston Food Bank and the End Hunger Network merged. The former End Hunger Network is a food rescue organization that operates a food collection effort that places red barrels in area grocery stores to receive food donations from shoppers.
In 2009, the Houston Food Bank is expanding a program that involves inmates who participate in a job training program. The hope is that the partnership will make all participants stronger to get through the bad economy. Several guards from the Texas prison system oversee the two dozen inmates that come over on a daily basis to learn what is involved in the day to day operations of a warehouse. Approximately 90 percent of the food bank orders and a very large proportion of the food sorting is processed by the inmates from Texas Department of Criminal Justice
. Houston Food Bank officials say that the slow economy has led to a 20 percent increase in the number of people the Food Bank is feeding in 2009.
made landfall on Galveston, Texas as a strong Category 2 hurricane. In the wake of this storm, hundreds of thousands of Texas residents found they could not obtain food without assistance. Before Ike hit, Houston Food Bank began to prepare itself and its member agencies for immediate disaster-relief in response to the storm. Sustaining moderate damage to its own facilities, the food bank increased efforts overnight to provide food, water, and supplies to families and individuals affected by the storm. Of the 18 counties in Houston Food Bank’s service area, 15 were declared official disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). By the end of October 2008, more than 20 million pounds of disaster relief food had been distributed by 7,500 volunteers. The volunteer’s efforts yielded more than 45,000 hours of time to the Food Bank post Ike.
Chair
Scott McClelland
H-E-B Houston
Vice Chairs
Armando Perez
H-E-B
Welcome Wilson, Jr.
GSL Welcome
Secretary
Sondee Hatcher
Community Volunteer
Treasurer
Leslie Nelson
Randalls Food Markets
]
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
that provides food and other products to more than 400 hunger relief agencies in southeast Texas. The Houston Food Bank’s goal is to distribute more than 40 million pounds of product annually to help feed 53,000 people everyday. The organization's goals are reached through the community support of volunteering, food drives, monetary donations, and partnerships.
Operations
The Houston Food Bank allocates all donations by using only 5% of all resources for operation costs which allows 95 cents of every dollar donated to reach the hungry. The organization focuses on balanced diets, nutrition education, and social services provided through its programs: Backpack Buddy Club, Culinary Academy, Kids Care, Operation Frontline, Second Chance, and Social Services Outreach.As a certified member of Feeding America, the Houston Food Bank distributes nonperishable and perishable food items to more than 400 hunger relief agencies in 18 southeast Texas counties. Its network charities include servicing church and community food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters for the homeless and abused, and nutrition sites for children and elderly.
In 2008, Houston Food Bank distributed 36 million pounds of food to its partner agencies. Realizing that nearly 900,000 people, including one in four children live in poverty throughout southeast Texas, the Food Bank embarked on a capital campaign with the goal to triple food distribution to 120 million pounds annually by 2018. Later that year, the Houston Food Bank and the End Hunger Network merged. The former End Hunger Network is a food rescue organization that operates a food collection effort that places red barrels in area grocery stores to receive food donations from shoppers.
In 2009, the Houston Food Bank is expanding a program that involves inmates who participate in a job training program. The hope is that the partnership will make all participants stronger to get through the bad economy. Several guards from the Texas prison system oversee the two dozen inmates that come over on a daily basis to learn what is involved in the day to day operations of a warehouse. Approximately 90 percent of the food bank orders and a very large proportion of the food sorting is processed by the inmates from Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
. Houston Food Bank officials say that the slow economy has led to a 20 percent increase in the number of people the Food Bank is feeding in 2009.
Hurricane Ike
On September 13, 2008 Hurricane IkeHurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike was the second-costliest hurricane ever to make landfall in the United States, the costliest hurricane ever to impact Cuba and the second most active hurricane to reach the Canadian mainland in the Great Lakes Region after Hurricane Hazel in 1954...
made landfall on Galveston, Texas as a strong Category 2 hurricane. In the wake of this storm, hundreds of thousands of Texas residents found they could not obtain food without assistance. Before Ike hit, Houston Food Bank began to prepare itself and its member agencies for immediate disaster-relief in response to the storm. Sustaining moderate damage to its own facilities, the food bank increased efforts overnight to provide food, water, and supplies to families and individuals affected by the storm. Of the 18 counties in Houston Food Bank’s service area, 15 were declared official disaster areas by the Federal Emergency Management Agency
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security, initially created by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1978 and implemented by two Executive Orders...
(FEMA). By the end of October 2008, more than 20 million pounds of disaster relief food had been distributed by 7,500 volunteers. The volunteer’s efforts yielded more than 45,000 hours of time to the Food Bank post Ike.
Board of directors
Board of Directors 2009-2010Chair
Scott McClelland
H-E-B Houston
Vice Chairs
Armando Perez
H-E-B
Welcome Wilson, Jr.
GSL Welcome
Secretary
Sondee Hatcher
Community Volunteer
Treasurer
Leslie Nelson
Randalls Food Markets
]