HOUSTON – For 40 years, the City Wide Club of Clubs has been hosting the annual "Super Feast" on Thanksgiving to feed those in need, but Stephanie Lewis, the regional director, says "Super Feast" is about more than just food.
“There will be free haircuts," Lewis said. There will be free clothing. There’ll be other agencies there that offer human services, whether it’s with utility assistance, rental assistance, legal aid. Chips for the kids. There’ll be all kinds of activity on that day.”
Houston Food Bank delivers 122 million meals
Of the many meals delivered by the Houston Food Bank each year, Brian Greene, who heads the food bank, says one of his favorites is the backpack program where teachers play a role in making sure their students aren’t hungry.
“These are the children the teacher believes are not eating on the weekends,” Greene said. “The teacher does it subtly and puts it in their backpack to not call attention to that and to help these students that teachers think are really struggling on the weekends.”
Greene talks about the reach and the need of the Food Bank and the easy way for volunteers to help them deliver millions of meals a year.
Houston homeless rate increases
After years of decrease, the number of homeless in the Houston region has risen in the past year
“We had an increase in the number of people both sheltered and un-sheltered,” said Marilyn Brown, the president and CEO of the Houston Coalition for the Homeless. “When we interviewed those unsheltered, 18 percent of them said their trigger into homelessness was losing their home or losing their car or whatever happened to them because of Hurricane Harvey.”
A number of the homeless are veterans dealing with many issues, including mental health problems.
Quindola Crowley is chief of veterans care and transitional service at the DeBakey V.A. Medical Center. She says the services offered at the VA deal with all their issues to help veterans get back on their feet.
Houston Newsmakers airs at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on KPRC2.
More information
Stephanie Lewis, City Wide Club of Clubs Regional Director
- www.citywideclub.com
- Phone: 713-752-CLUB (2582)
Brian Greene, President & CEO, Houston Food
- www.houstonfoodbank.org
- Phone: 713-223-3700
- Twitter: @HoustonFoodBank
Marilyn Brown, President & CEO Houston Coalition for the Homeless
- www.homelesshouston.org
- Phone: 713-739-7514
- Twitter: @HomelessHOU
Quindola Crowley, Ph.D.
- www.Houston.va.gov
- Phone: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Twitter: @DeptVetAffairs