Houston Food Bank Targets Major Milestone, Issues Challenge To Community: 100k Volunteers In 2026
HOUSTON … For Houston Food Bank, volunteers provide helping hands that care for the community and are the fuel that keeps this vital engine moving, providing hope in times of hardship and disaster. And the need is growing, both the need for food assistance and the food bank’s need for volunteers to power its mission to provide food for better lives.
As more than one million people in the Houston Food Bank’s service area face food insecurity, last year Houston Food Bank experienced something incredible: more than 94,000 Houstonians signed on and showed up to sort, pack and move millions of pounds of food.
As the need in our community grows, it was last year’s amazing volunteer workforce turnout that led Houston Food Bank to set a lofty, milestone goal and challenge: 100,000 unique volunteers in 2026.
“Reaching 100,000 volunteers isn’t just about a number on a spreadsheet, it’s about the ‘operational truth’ of what Houston Food Bank does,” says Brian Greene, president/CEO of the nation’s largest Feeding America food bank in terms of distribution. “Every box of produce, every bag of rice, and every senior meal we distribute requires human hands to sort, pack and prep. We can have the best logistics in the world, but without the energy and support of our community, the belt doesn’t move. Volunteers are the literal fuel that keeps our mission moving. If we are going to meet this milestone, we will need the continued support of the amazing Houston community.”
Volunteers of all ages are welcome at Houston Food Bank, as individuals or groups. Volunteering is perfect for families and friends, church groups, networking groups and team building for companies. Daily shifts are available, and registration can be done quickly and easily online at HoustonFoodBank.org/volunteer.
Volunteer shifts can also be combined with meetings and/or meals with the Conference Center facilities and onsite catering. Details can be found on the food bank website.
“Simply put, Houston Food Bank’s engine needs more power to continue providing food for better lives,” adds Greene. “Houston Food Bank could not do its vital work without our dedicated volunteers. We thank the individuals, organizations and corporations who have generously given of their time in the past, and we hope they will join us in this monumental goal of reaching 100K unique volunteers by the end of 2026. If any city can achieve this monumental milestone, Houston can.”
About Houston Food Bank
Serving Houston and southeast Texas since 1982, Houston Food Bank’s mission is to provide food for better lives. We provide access to 143 million nutritious meals in 18 counties through our 1,600 community partners of food pantries, soup kitchens, social service providers and schools. Filling gaps on plates, we have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. In collaboration with our community, we advocate for policy change and racial equity, and promote dialogue on ways to increase access to food and to improve the lives of those in our communities, including services and connections to programs that address the root causes of hunger and are aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability: nutrition education, health management and help with securing state-funded assistance. We are a resource for individuals and families in times of hardship. Houston Food Bank works alongside our partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston County, Brazos Valley, and Trinity River area. Houston Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator for the 12th consecutive year.
Website .houstonfoodbank.org/about-us/milestones/; Social media: @houstonfoodbank (Instagram and Twitter), @thehoustonfoodbank (Facebook)