Go Beyond

When shelter-in-place directives went into effect earlier this year, life took an unexpected turn for many families around the nation. Hourly wage earners who could not work, two-income families whose earning capacity was compromised, parents who now had to care for children not attending school are just some of the scenarios that added stress to households.


Understanding the impact shelter-in-place would have on families, our missions ministry wasted no time in forming a strategic partnership with Eyes On Me to address anticipated food insecurity concerns. Eyes On Me has several ministry locations around the greater Houston area, including The Hangar Unity Center in Brookshire. We chose to serve neighborhoods with a disproportionate number of one-parent households in the vicinity of The Hangar because the majority of these families live in poverty.

Our friends at Grace Fellowship and The Fellowship (two Katy area churches) along with key non-profit partners joined the team. We quickly discovered that purchasing food in large quantities turned out to be a challenge. Places like Sam’s and Costco and local grocery stores had strict limits on quantities. In spite of the challenges, we managed to purchase enough food to get started.

In the weeks that followed, we received food from several sources. The Houston Food Bank, Food Town, and Goya Foods consistently donated thousands of pounds of food. We also received fresh produce from the federal Farmers to Families initiative.

Over the past several months, hundreds of folks have volunteered to help pack and prep food boxes on Thursdays. This process generally takes about three to four hours. The actual food distributions start at 10:00 AM on designated Fridays at The Hangar with the line of cars well over a mile long before the start time.

The only stipulation for receiving food is that recipients show proof of residency in Brookshire. Each family receives a box of non-perishable food and a box of produce and meat. We strive to make sure that the boxes have a high volume of healthy food.

Since starting this food distribution initiative, we have served an average of 400 families per distribution. This month we will have our 18th food distribution. One of the best things about these distributions is the feedback we receive from families in need. So many have expressed gratitude and told us what a difference the food has made for them at a time when they are dealing with so many pandemic-related challenges.

I am grateful for the generosity of Kingsland and our partnership with Eyes On Me. By working together, we continue to meet urgent needs among families who are struggling to make ends meet. We remain committed to working with our partners to move in the direction of people in need and making a difference through the pandemic and beyond.