Fair Haven Food Pantry

The Fair Haven Food Pantry is one of the largest private food assistance programs in the greater Houston Area.  Its purpose is to provide short-term food aid to persons in need in our community.  In a typical week, 200 families, which include about 1,200 persons, receive food from the food pantry.  This indicates that food for 10,000 families or 60,000 persons is dispensed annually.

Food with a retail value of nearly $800,000.00 is distributed annually through the food pantry. The food pantry's actual cash expenditure for the food it distributes is only about $82,000.  This is accomplished through discount purchases, donations, by use of the Houston Food Bank and End Hunger Network's "Red Barrel" program.

Whom do we help?

Anyone in our area who comes to the Food Pantry for the first time with proper identification will be given food.  Food distribution to an individual or family is limited to three times in three months.  When long-term assistance is necessary, we provide information regarding aid from other agencies.  The Food Pantry provides special feeding programs for senior citizens and abused adults through the Harris County Council On Aging.

What are the Food Pantry's resources?

The financial resources for operating the Food Pantry include individual cash donations, contributions from several neighboring churches and from charitable organizations.  The Food Pantry DOES NOT  receive any government or United Way funds.  Food collected in the "Red Barrel" at several area grocery stores is distributed through the Food Pantry.  Other local markets donate day-old bread, pastries and produce.

How can you help?

The need for this program is very great.  When funds are short, food items must be omitted from the list of foods being distributed at that time.  When this happens, the food packages being distributed are not as nutritionally balanced as we would like them to be.  With your help, the Food Pantry can maintain a desirable inventory of foods and continue to render a service necessary to our community.

Because the Food Pantry purchases food in large quantities at significant discounts, a monetary gift to the Food Pantry is an excellent way to optimize the effectiveness of a contribution.

Operating cost of the Food Pantry

The Food Pantry regularly receives contributions of food from food drives, businesses and individuals.  In addition to the direct donations of food, the Food Pantry receives cash donations from individuals, churches, businesses and other organizations both large and small.

Over 93% of all cash donations are used to purchase food to feed the hungry.  The Food Pantry's overhead expense is almost entirely the cost of utilities and required permits.  Less than 7% of the total of cash contributions is used to pay the overhead.  Because the Food Pantry receives a large amount of food donations, the true overhead expense to value of food dispursed ratio is far less than 7%.

Food Pantry staff

Each worker in the Fair Haven Food Pantry is a volunteer:  some may work one, two or three days a week,  some are called on for special jobs or chores,  some Individuals and/or groups help while  doing service hours and some groups and individuals regularly volunteer at seasonal programs such as Thanksgiving or Christmas Specials. 

The Food Pantry began operating in about 1980.  Bob McDonald is its co-ordinator and prime volunteer.  She has accepted this responsibility for nearly twenty years.  Her wise and committed leaderhip has been an inspiration to all who have been a part of the organization's success. The beneficiaries of the Food Pantry program will never know the totality of her selfless devotion to addressing their need.

Most of the Food Pantry volunteers live in the Spring Branch/Memorial area,  however, a few come from more distant homes.  The Fair Haven Food Pantry is truly an ecumenical endeavor.  Many of the volunteers are members of churches that are regular financial supporters of the Food Pantry.

Participating churches

• Spring Woods Baptist
• St. Catherine of Sienna
• Crossbridge Christian
• St. Christopher Episcopal
• Conxcordia Lutheran
• Saint Andrew Lutheran
• John Knox Presbyterian
• Pines Presbyterian
• Spring Branch Presbyterian
• Chapelwood United Methodist
• Fair Haven United Methodist

Other Institutional Supporters

• First Community Credit Union
• Ladies Ausiliary of the Japanese Business Community
• Memorial Assistance Ministries
• Memorial Herman Memorial City Hospital
• National Charity League
• Spring Branch Schools (various)
• Scout Troups (various)
• St. Francis Episcopal School

If you would like to contribute your time or make a donation to the Food Pantry -- or if you need assistance from the Food Pantry, please contact us at (713) 467-4363.

God bless!