According to a report from Feeding America, as of May 2024, Texas has surpassed California in the percentage of the population that is food insecure.
And that’s a big deal.
Yes, food insecurity has been rising nationally, but since the Great Recession, in Texas, roughly half of the people who struggle to pay for meals don’t qualify for federal assistance like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). That equates to a food insecurity nightmare.
There are several food giveaway programs and food pantries run by various faith organizations that do herculean work providing the less fortunate with healthy food. Still, the struggle is real.
Roughly one in six Texans are food insecure. About 1.7 million children (22.8% of Texas children) don’t know where their next meal is coming from.
Locally, the 18 counties served by the Houston Food Bank had a collective food insecurity rate of 15.4% in 2022, the latest year for which data is available. Harris County had a rate of 16.4%, but because it contains such a large number of people, that percentage equates to nearly 777,000 people in the region who are food insecure, though some estimate that number is closer to one million.
And this issue is not a cheap fix. Feeding America puts the price tag for meeting the food needs of Harris County residents at $540 million.
But again, even with odds stacked against them, groups, be they non-profit organizations, grassroots movements, or faith communities, the Greater Houston has frontline warriors on the hunger battlefields.
TRINITY EAST UMC
Geri Shelton is Trinity East UMC’s Mission Outreach Ministry Team Lead and coordinator of that fellowship’s Community Pantry.
The Trinity East UMC Pantry (2418 McGowen, 77004) has some longstanding relationships with the Houston Food Bank, the Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC), and connectivity with many other food pantries serving souls who are predominantly marginalized by statically unstable/very limited/flat-line access for money, and/or surviving in transit housing conditions.
“Among our biggest joys is fostering the sense of approachability for engaging with ‘loving care as mutual neighbors’ which enable able us to encounter and to experience so many diverse souls in so many meaningful opportunities to help with access to food,” said Shelton.
Trinity’s pantry operates an onsite “Community Curbside Hospitality Distributions” every second and fourth Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and every third Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Trinity also provides special appointment requests for either onsite or residential curbside hospitality (call or text 346-809-7231).
Trinity’s pantry faces challenges including the need for adequate capacity for onsite storage facilities for both shelf stable and cold storage food items and the availability of able volunteers.
Still, pantry participants are making a difference.
“Perhaps the most surprising ‘food pantry experience’ for many souls who come to serve and/or to be served may be actually to be ‘seen’ and ‘served’ with dignity and respect,” said Shelton.
WE ARE ONE MOBILE FOOD PANTRY
The We Are One Mobile Food Pantry serves roughly 400 families every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in front of the Shrine of the Black Madonna’s sanctuary (5309 MLK Blvd, 77021).
They too, encounter roadblocks.
“One of the primary challenges for the We are One Mobile Food Pantry is securing adequate funding to sustain our operations,” said coordinator Richard Andrews. “Garnering support from local media outlets has proven challenging. Media coverage can significantly enhance visibility and credibility while attracting more volunteers and donors.”
Like other food giveaways and pantries, We Are One has seen a notable rise in demand for food over the past 18 months.
“I believe one of the primary reasons for the increased demand is the economic situation faced by many residents. Many families are still recovering from job losses, reduced hours, or low wages. Another factor contributing to the increase is inflation, which has affected prices across the board,” said Andrews, who added that corporate greed is also a big culprit.
“Some companies are preying on the American people and making record profits, which is sad.”
Andrews lists as most rewarding, the opportunity to directly impact and alleviate community food insecurity by providing fresh produce and other essential items directly to neighbors.
And like Shelton, Andrews cherishes the human connection that tames place.
“Hosting the mobile pantry fosters a sense of community among participants and volunteers. It creates an opportunity for individuals from diverse backgrounds to come together for a common cause, helping those in need.”
