The Houston Food Bank Needs Our Help Right Now

The Houston Food Bank has been in disaster mode since Monday, February 15, and we know the drill, Houston. The nonprofit is calling upon folks to help, and now is the time to step up and come to the aid of our our fellow Houstonians.

As Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo* tweeted this morning, we are now entering a new phase of this ongoing winter storm: a food and water crisis. Adding to the devastating fallout of our power and water disasters, there’s also the fact that many families were already facing hunger due to the ongoing pandemic and its economic devastation. Let’s step up and do what we’re good at, Houston—helping each other out in times of need.

For starters, if you have some extra dough saved, please consider giving.  

If you have the ability to physically help, the food bank’s volunteer opportunities will open back up tomorrow, February 19—you can register online at houstonfoodbank.org/ways-to-give/give-time—with help needed sorting and packing food for distribution.

If you have the means to donate items right now, the food bank is actually looking for specific approaches to gathering donations versus traditional food donations right now. There are two main ways of pulling together supplies for the food bank:

Residents can host a virtual food drive fundraiser: You can set it up right here, and because it’s virtual, this will help keep volunteers and staff safe during Covid-19.

Companies can donate large amounts of food or products: Companies, manufacturers, and suppliers are wanted to donate large amounts of food or products, including bottled water, ready to eat food, granola bars and cereal, crackers and bread, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning products, and paper plates/cups and utensils.; contact the food bank at  donateASAP@houstonfoodbank.org or call (281)786-2676.

*A previous version of this story misspelled Hidalgo’s name. That has been corrected.