HISD to open nine meal centers

The Houston Independent School District will be supporting relief efforts in communities across Houston by providing meals to families and individuals affected by the recent floods.  Starting on Saturday, Sept. 2, HISD’s Nutrition Services will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner free of charge at nine sites in the Houston area.  The meals will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to all community members.

Breakfast will be served from 8-9 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m.-noon, and dinner from 4-5 p.m.  Those times are subject to change.  Meals will be offered at the following locations:

Starting Saturday, Sept. 2 for lunch service:

Almeda Elementary – 14226 Almeda School Rd., Houston, TX 77047

Barbara Bush Elementary – 13800 Westerloch Dr., Houston TX 77077

Carrillo Elementary – 960 S. Wayside Dr., Houston, TX 77023

DeChaumes Elementary – 155 Cooper Rd. Houston, TX 77076

Starting on Sunday, Sept. 3 for breakfast:

Shadydale Elementary – 5905 Tidwell Rd., Houston, TX 77028

Deady Middle School – 2500 Broadway St, Houston, TX 77012

All others will be opened over the next few days:

T.H. Rogers School – 5840 San Felipe St, Houston, TX 77057

Elrod Elementary – 6323 Dumfries Dr., Houston, TX 77096

Blackshear Elementary – 2900 Holman Street, Houston, TX 77004

“The Houston community needs our support now more than ever,” says HISD Board of Education President Trustee Wanda Adams.  “Thousands of families have been displaced from their homes and have suffered unimaginable loss and trauma.  To even begin the recovery process, we must first address families’ most basic needs, which includes access to food and water.  That is why HISD is stepping in to provide meals.”

The initiative to feed the community is being funded by HISD with support from a number of partners, including Sysco, Life Time and Life Time Foundation.  Sysco, which is headquartered in Houston, has set up a command center to supply food to HISD’s nine distribution sites.  Life Time and Life Time Foundation have donated $100,000 to help sponsor this effort.  They also have launched an online donation effort among their members nationwide.

“As the impact of this catastrophe continues to unfold, our Houston-based members, employees and the broader community are in our collective thoughts and prayers,” says Jason Thunstrom, Life Time vice president.  “Among a number of recovery efforts, we have underway at this time, we are honored to partner with HISD to provide thousands of meals to those currently in need.”

As HISD launches this initiative, it does so having sustained a number of losses due to the storm’s impact.  Flooding damaged HISD’s food services facility in northeast Houston, making it non-operational.  Despite the challenges, however, HISD’s Nutrition Services employees are stepping up to help HISD support the community.

“Our employees have experienced their own hardships in recent days, but they are already rallying to support their fellow citizens,” says Richard A. Carranza, HISD superintendent.  “They reflect the resilient spirit of our school district and of our great city.  Together, we will get through these trying times.”