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Kinder Foundation Gifts $1 Million to Houston Food Bank to Feed Houstonians Impacted by COVID-19

By: Paula Murphy
| Published 05/06/2020

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HOUSTON, TX – Kinder Foundation has made a crucial donation of $1 million to Houston Food Bank to assist in the monumental task of keeping fed those impacted by COVID-19.

Donation continues foundation’s generous support of the non-profit.


As reports of COVID-19 filled the news, Houstonians and people around the globe rushed to stock their pantries. For many, that was not a difficult thing to do, but for those served by the Houston Food Bank, the panic was even greater. This population, almost by definition, does not have the ability or the means to have food reserves. Add job loss and school closures, and the impact has been profound, especially on this most-vulnerable population.

The Food Bank is experiencing 130%-150% increase in demand over the 1.1 million food insecure people in our service area, many of those whom have never sought food assistance before. In response, Houston Food Bank has had to ramp up distribution to continue to meet the critical need caused by the pandemic. Currently, they have doubled distribution to 750,000 to 1 million pounds of food per day.

But they cannot respond to the need alone. While Houston Food Bank is considered essential, donors to the nation’s largest food bank, such as Kinder Foundation, are, themselves, essential to the non-profit organization.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous socio-economic impact upon the communities in which we work and live. Families living in poverty, the isolated elderly, people with disabilities as well as a growing number of recently unemployed are all facing desperate times,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of Houston Food Bank. “In times like these, charitable organizations are relied on by the most vulnerable people in our communities, and we, in turn, rely on the support of our generous donors in order to provide hope in the form of food. This gift by Kinder Foundation is vital to our COVID response.”

The impact of Kinder Foundation’s donation is massive. For each $1 donated to Houston Food Bank, they can provide three meals to the community, meaning that three million meals will be given at a crucial time.

This donation is the latest gift to Houston Food Bank from Kinder Foundation, whose support goes back to 2008. They have previously supported the Hunger Can’t Wait capital campaign to purchase a new, larger facility as well as the expansion of the food bank’s Backpack Buddy program, which provides enough food for six meals over the weekend

“Being able to feed yourself and your family is fundamental to the quality of your life,” states Nancy Kinder, President and CEO, Kinder Foundation. “We are fortunate to have the Houston Food Bank to provide hunger relief year-round. Our hope is that no one in Houston will go hungry. The Kinder Foundation is deeply proud to support the Houston Food Bank during this turbulent time.”

The mission of the Kinder Foundation is to support Greater Houston as a model city for economic opportunity and quality of life by providing transformational grants in the areas of urban green space, education and quality of life.

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