On Saturday, November 19, 2022, more than fifty volunteers braved the chilling wind and rain outside of Northwest Assistance Ministries (NAM), distributing supplies to prepare entire Thanksgiving meals, including turkeys, to more than 600 local families.

Nearly one-third of Houstonians, almost half of which are children, are facing food insecurities, a rate that is 4% higher than the national average. As food insecurity and grocery costs continue to rise, nonprofits struggle to provide relief. The Houston Food Bank, which partners with NAM and other local pantries, is dealing with a demand that’s up more than 30% from 2021.

The Joanne Watford Nutrition Center, NAM’s food pantry, serves approximately 75 families each day, and NAM delivers 900 meals daily to homebound seniors through its Meals on Wheels program. 

This is the first of two distributions in NAM’s annual Holiday Blessings campaign – the second will take place in December and include food for a second full holiday meal, along with toys for families with children.

NAM is still in need of donations and volunteers to assist with the upcoming December distribution. Donations of new, unwrapped toys in the range of approximately $25 per gift for ages 0-12 are especially needed. Toys may be dropped off at The Harrell Family Opportunity Center located behind NAM’s main building at 15555 Kuykendahl Road, Houston, Texas 77090, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Monday, December 5, 2022. Volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels are also needed. Anyone interested in volunteering can get more information and submit a volunteer application at www.namonline.org/volunteer.