$750K Grant Boosts Houston Food Bank’s Food Rescue Efforts Across 18 Southeast Texas Counties
A $750,000 grant from Walmart and Feeding America is helping the Houston Food Bank ramp up its efforts to fight food insecurity across its vast 18-county service area. As one of just 13 food banks in the nation to receive the 2025 Retail Agency Capacity Grant, Houston Food Bank is using this major investment to improve its “food rescue” operations—getting more fresh, frozen, and shelf-stable groceries from local retailers into the hands of families and individuals facing hunger.
The funding will provide local food pantries and meal programs with critical resources like refrigerated vehicles, storage equipment, and staffing support to enhance the rescue and distribution of surplus food. These improvements mean better access to healthy options for underserved communities from Greater Houston to rural southeast Texas.
“Houston Food Bank provides more than 120 million nutritious meals annually to our 18-county coverage area, but we do not do it alone,” said Brian Greene, president and CEO of Houston Food Bank. “The generous support of donors like Walmart helps us to further our mission of providing food for better lives.”
Feeding the Growing Need in Texas
This grant comes at a time when the food insecurity crisis in Texas is intensifying. According to Feeding America’s recent Map the Meal Gap study, Texas now has the largest food-insecure population in the nation—over 5.3 million people. The statewide rate rose from 16.4% in 2022 to 17.6% in 2023, with even more alarming increases among specific groups:
- 1 in 3 African-American Texans face food insecurity (up from 28% to 31%)
- 1 in 7 Seniors are food insecure (up from 9.8% to 13.6%)
- 1 in 9 White, non-Hispanic Texans also face hunger (up from 10% to 11%)
For the Houston Food Bank, which has been serving Houston and southeast Texas since 1982, the mission is far more than just filling stomachs. Through a network of 1,600 community partners—including food pantries, soup kitchens, social service agencies, and schools—it offers comprehensive services designed to promote long-term stability. These include nutrition education, health support, and assistance with applying for state-funded programs.
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The nonprofit’s footprint spans a large and diverse region, reaching residents in both dense urban centers and remote rural communities through partnerships with fellow food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston County, and Brazos Valley.
Partnership with Purpose
This latest round of Walmart and Feeding America grants brings total giving to $15.75 million across 33 food banks and hundreds of partner agencies nationwide. The funding is a continuation of a powerful 20-year collaboration that has resulted in approximately $271 million in donations—with over 9 billion pounds of food donated to Feeding America’s national network by Walmart and Sam’s Club since 2006.
“Increasing access to food is key to Walmart’s purpose to help people to live better, and we’ve been working with Feeding America for the past 20 years to help local food banks and agencies recover and distribute more food donations,” said Julie Gehrki, Senior Vice President at Walmart and President of the Walmart Foundation. “We’re honored to build on this work through our support of Houston Food Bank. We look forward to collaborating to get more fresh food to people who need it.”
Thanks to these investments, food banks have expanded their weekly donation pickups and improved their ability to transport and store perishable foods. At the local level, this means a more efficient, responsive, and sustainable hunger relief system that works in tandem with retailers, government agencies, and grassroots nonprofits.
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A Regional Resource in Times of Hardship
Beyond its core mission of hunger relief, Houston Food Bank takes a holistic approach—promoting racial equity, advocating for policy change, and addressing the root causes of hunger. Whether assisting families with SNAP applications, offering health-focused food education, or helping seniors maintain access to nutritious meals, the organization plays a crucial role in building a stronger, more food-secure region.
As the need grows, partnerships like the one with Walmart and Feeding America are proving essential.
For more on how you can help or access resources, visit HoustonFoodBank.org.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
