Target Hunger Partners with the Embassy of the State of Qatar so Families in Northeast Houston can Enjoy a Thanksgiving Meal

More than 125 volunteers will make “contactless” deliveries to 800 homes

HOUSTON--()--Over 800 food insecure families in northeast Houston will enjoy a hot Thanksgiving meal delivered right to their front door on Saturday. A turkey dinner with all the trimmings will be delivered by Target Hunger and more than 125 volunteers. The meals will be provided by a grant from the Embassy of the State of Qatar, with additional financial support provided by numerous individual donors.

According to the Houston Food Bank, prior to the pandemic about 1 in 5 children lived in a food-insecure household in southeast Texas. The latest estimates show that number is 1 in 4, indicating that food insecurity has increased.

In observance of COVID-19 safety measures, the volunteers will drive their vehicles to Target Hunger’s warehouse on Shotwell Street in northeast Houston between 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 21. Volunteers will include board members, college students, families, and corporate and community groups. Drivers will remain in their cars while groceries for a Thanksgiving meal are loaded in the back by Target Hunger staff. Drivers will then drop off the food at families’ front doors and alert them via cell phone.

Target Hunger is incredibly grateful for the partnership with the Embassy of the State of Qatar. Sandra Wicoff, Target Hunger CEO, said, “The capacity of Target Hunger has increased greatly due to investments made by the Embassy of the State of Qatar to our organization after Hurricane Harvey. Funding from the Qatar Harvey Fund has prepared us to serve the growing number of families that now need food assistance in northeast Houston. This Thanksgiving will be a challenging year for many families, so we are thrilled to provide a holiday meal in partnership with the Embassy of the State of Qatar.”

Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, welcomed the ongoing partnership with Target Hunger. "Qatar has a long record of standing with American families during times of hardship," he said. “We are proud to continue our partnership with Target Hunger and to provide a helping hand to the Houston community, which has endured significant challenges with the 2020 pandemic and Hurricane Harvey in 2017.”

Last year, Target Hunger received a grant of $426,000 from the Qatar Harvey Fund and the Rebuild Texas Fund for enhancements to its warehouse facility and a mobile food pantry. The grant was part of the $30 million Qatar Harvey Fund, which has been fully committed to organizations and projects in southeast Texas.

About Target Hunger
Target Hunger, a United Way agency, is one of Houston’s largest non-profit organizations providing direct food assistance to food insecure children, families, and seniors at risk of going hungry every day. The mission of Target Hunger is to alleviate hunger and its root causes in the northeast Houston neighborhoods served, which include Denver Harbor, Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Magnolia Park, North Forest, Settegast, and many more. In 2019, Target Hunger distributed 1.8 million meals to over 20,000 individuals. During COVID-19, Target Hunger hosts multiple drive-thru disaster distributions weekly, in addition to a home delivery program for seniors. Typical, non-disaster programming includes six food pantries, emergency food packs, educational food fairs, mobile distributions, a delivery program for seniors and disabled, and a community garden.

About the Embassy of the State of Qatar to the United States
The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington, D.C. houses Qatar's diplomatic mission to the United States. The primary purposes of the Embassy of the State of Qatar are to highlight Qatar’s policies on regional issues, strengthen Qatar-U.S. bilateral relations and to assist Qatari citizens who travel or live in the U.S. The current Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States and Chair of the Qatar Harvey Fund is His Excellency Meshal Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Contacts

Allison Smith
409-781-3835
allison@getproofusa.com

Contacts

Allison Smith
409-781-3835
allison@getproofusa.com