The Wesley Community Center has served the Near Northside neighborhood in Houston for over 100 years. This community has a significant number of residents who fall under the poverty threshold and many families in this area rely heavily on local schools to provide their children with daily meals. Access to food during the summer months is critical for the children of low-income families because without school, many are not receiving nutritious meals and these children are the most vulnerable to experience hunger.
To respond to this need, Wesley Community Center (www.wesleyhousehouston.org) is launching “Stock the Shelves: Summer Food Drive” as a community-wide food drive during the month of May. Their goal is to collect 10,000 pounds of food to help an additional 250 families during the summer months. This collection of food will culminate with a major food distribution on June 21, 2024 at Wesley Community Center’s food fair.
Beyond their goals for this summer, Wesley has a strong commitment to battling hunger in Houston. Their clients range from the elderly, to new immigrants, to the working poor, to professionals who have lost their jobs, and more. They provide food assistance to a growing number of families through emergency food assistance, monthly distributions of fresh fruit and vegetables, and their food cooperative programs for families and seniors that maximizes their food dollars by doubling their cash investment. They also recently created an organic community garden in the hopes of adding more fresh produce to their client’s diets. Wesley’s mission is to minister to the needs of individuals and families by helping people help themselves and each other.
Donations of food can be brought Reba Veal Henderson Food Cooperative located at 1235 Lorraine Street, Houston, TX 77009, Monday through Friday 9am-5pm. Please call 713-223-8131 ahead of time to ensure a staff member is onsite to receive your donations. Monetary donations can be mailed to 1410 Lee Street, Houston TX 77009, or made via secure payment online at www.wesleyhousehouston.org. Wesley is also able to assist with employer matching gifts, planned gifts, and gifts of stock.
If you are interested in making a significant impact in the lives of families that lack the resources to combat hunger, please contact Leah Wade, Community Outreach Coordinator, at lwade@wesleyhousehouston.orgor 713-821-8907 to volunteer or for additional information.
