Houston Food Bank

Houston Food Bank is a food bank that serves 18 counties within southeast Texas alongside their partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston and Brazos Valley. The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

Houston Food Bank
Founded1982 (1982)
FounderJoan and Stanford Alexander
74-2181456[1]
Legal status501(c)(3) Non-profit organization
Location
  • 535 Portwall St
    Houston, Texas 77029
Area served
Southeast Texas
President, Chief Executive Officer
Brian Greene[2]
Michael Cordua[2]
Volunteers
92,000
Websitewww.houstonfoodbank.org

Locations

The location of the Houston Food Bank is a 308,000 square-foot warehouse located just off 1-10 East at 535 Portwall St. The facility houses the Food Bank staff offices, as well as additional community services ranging from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training. The Food Bank can accommodate up to 1,000 volunteers during each of its volunteer shifts Monday through Saturday.

In July 2017, the Houston Food Bank's Keegan Kitchen moved from its original home, located at 2445 North Freeway, into the warehouse facility on Portwall St. A 10,000-square-foot kitchen was built to increase meal capacity with a goal of 20,000 hot meals daily.

Operations

The Houston Food Bank is currently the largest Feeding America food bank in the U.S., in both the amount of food distributed to its partner agencies and in the size of its facility. The organization focuses on balanced diets, nutrition education, and social services provided through its programs, such as Backpack Buddy, Kids Cafe, and Client Assistance Program. In fiscal year 2018, Houston Food Bank distributed 122 million nutritious meals.

535 Catering  A social enterprise of the Houston Food Bank, 535 Catering provides meals and snacks prepared in our Keegan Kitchen for meetings and events in our Conference Center. 535 Catering uses no product donated or acquired for distribution to partner agencies.

Programs

Backpack Buddy Food is provided for the weekend for children who are at-risk of hunger in schools grades K–12 during the school year.

Client Assistance Program Provides assistance in applying for state-funded social and health services, including SNAP (food stamps), WIC, Medicaid, Children’s Medicaid and others.

Food For Change

Kids Cafe Meals and snacks are prepared in our Keegan Kitchen and served year-round on weekdays, along with nutrition and health education, to kids in after school and summer meal programs.

Nutrition Education Classes in nutrition, including healthy eating and meal preparation, are offered to low-income adults and children throughout the 18-county service area and in the Keegan Kitchen.

Portwall Pantry On-site pantry with extended hours to serve working families and individuals who cannot access their neighborhood pantry. Appointment based.

Red Barrel Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishables to their neighbors in need through nearby food pantries.

School Market Alleviating child and teen hunger by providing food to students and their families at middle and high schools.

Senior Boxes Provides a monthly box of food to low-income seniors through the USDA’s Commodity Supplemental Food Program.

Teachers Aid Offers free school supplies to teachers

Volunteers

In fiscal year 2017–18, the Food Bank recorded 518,000 hours of volunteer time, equivalent to 249 full-time employees.

See also
  • Great Raise Houston

References
  1. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax". The Houston Food Bank. Guidestar. June 30, 2014.
  2. "CEO/Board Members". Houston Food Bank. Accessed on January 16, 2016.
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