CravensCARES Kicks off at Houston Food Bank
By: Ashley Western, ACSR, MSM RMI, Commercial Business Development Manager
On April 19, CravensCARES Chairperson Betty Copaus spent the day at the Houston Food Bank. Betty spent the day on an assembly line, helping to sort & divide food for families in need. Betty worked in a team of 30 people, and was able to make many new friends & learn all about the Food Bank in our community.
Houston Food Bank's mission is leading the fight against hunger. Here’s how!
The Houston Food Bank...
• A private, nonprofit organization
• Seeks food donations, distributes to local
charitable programs
• Efficient operations: 95 cents of every dollar
donated feeds the hungry
• Certified member of Feeding America
• Founded 1982
It’s in the numbers...
• 65 million pounds distributed last year
• 137,000 different people fed each week
• 865,000 different people fed each year
• nearly 500 hunger relief agencies in 18 southeast Texas
counties:
o Church food pantries
o Homeless shelters
o Safe havens for the battered and abused
o Nutrition sites for children and the elderly
• More than 259,000 volunteer hours contributed annually
• 73,000 square feet of warehouse and office space at
central location, in addition to 66,000 square feet offsite
About the Houston Food Bank
The Houston Food Bank is the largest source of food for hunger relief charities in 18 southeast Texas counties. A network of nearly 500 food pantries, soup kitchens, senior centers and other agencies, feeding a total of 137,000 people each week, provides more than 65 million pounds of food and prepared meals annually. Fresh produce, meat and nonperishables are distributed from Herzstein Center, a 73,000 square-foot warehouse, and hot meals are prepared and distributed from Keegan Center, a 15,000 square-foot industrial kitchen. Additional community services range from nutrition education to assistance with food stamp applications and hands-on job training. Red Barrels offer a convenient way for grocery shoppers to donate nonperishables for their neighbors in need. The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network. The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 120 million pounds of food by 2018.
Please visit the Houston Food Bank's Website to learn how you can volunteer, donate, or host a food drive!
If your business would like to partner with Cravens Warren in philanthropic endeavors, please contact Chairperson Betty Copaus at 281.854.2566.
