Nonprofit board member on hurricane food drive: 'We want to make sure they are covered'

Two Houston nonprofit organizations hosted a drive last Saturday (May 14) to make sure that homebound residents have enough to eat in the event of a hurricane.

Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston and Meals on Wheels provided emergency storm meals as part of an annual event called "Operation IMpact." 

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 through Nov. 30, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) having released a list of 21 named storms.

KPRC reported that the nonprofits were joined by CITGO, Energy Transfer and numerous volunteers and sponsors.

"Sometimes we can’t actually get out and deliver Meals on Wheels," Jay Harberg, who serves on Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston's board, told the station. "So we want to make sure they are covered and that they have food to eat in case we can’t get out there and serve them."

According to KPRC, volunteers spent the day preparing food boxes and loading them into vehicles, which Aastha Bharati lauded as a great chance to serve the community.

“Just being involved and directly handing out food, and creating these packages for people and seeing everyone working together is a really great opportunity,” Bharati said, per the station.

At least 1,000 Houston-area seniors received meals through the drive, with approximately 7,500 delivered, KPRC reported.

An unidentified recipient told the station that it's excellent that he and other similarly situated individuals have been thought of ahead of hurricane season.

One woman expressed gratitude as the event helped her mother who was rendered homebound three years ago.

“She’s on dialysis and COVID-19 hit her really hard when she was going to and from dialysis," she told KPRC. "She had a fall and her health deteriorated but she is hanging in there, thank God, and I really appreciate all the help you all do.”