Local Car Dealer Loans Vehicles to Aid in Food Deliveries
Chevy and Toyota vehicles on the road to bring food assistance during COVID
HOUSTON … In addition to Houston Food Bank’s fleet of bobtail trucks and 18-wheelers delivering food to Partners and Neighborhood Super Site distributions, there are additional, smaller vehicles on the road helping to make important direct deliveries to those in need.
Through a very generous donation by Jay Davis, Matt Davis and Mike Calvert, owners of Davis Chevrolet and Mike Calvert Toyota, five Chevy Equinoxes and five Toyota RAV4s have been loaned to Houston Food Bank for an open period of time and are being used as part of the organization’s new home delivery system, added as part of COVID-19 response efforts.
The different types of deliveries being made with these vehicles include:
Senior Boxes – two, 30-pound boxes being delivered to the home
Quarantine Food Kits – three boxes totaling 86 pounds of food for quarantined families
Diabetic-friendly Quarantine Food Kits – two boxes totaling 78 pounds of food for quarantined families
Disaster Boxes – one 13-pound box of food to supplement families’ food supply
These deliveries are scheduled through the Houston Food Bank Call Center, and many deliveries are being done with the assistance of National Guard Soldiers as drivers.
“Houston Food Bank does not typically do direct deliveries to homes, but the overwhelming need and special circumstances of COVID-19 lead to the start of this assistance,” says Jim Day, a dedicated volunteer of Houston Food Bank and member of its Apple Corps Leaders program. “The food bank home deliveries of quarantine food kits, diabetic kits and disaster boxes have totaled approximately 1,900 deliveries, which have provided approximately 94,000 pounds of food or 78,000 meals. The National Guard and the Toyota and Chevrolet vehicles provided have been a big part of this program, and we thank Mr. Davis for his generosity to help neighbors in need.”
In addition to the direct deliveries listed above, the drivers are using the vehicles to keep one of our delivery partners, Nuro Inc., stocked with the appropriate boxes to make deliveries in their driverless vehicles; and to drive to various apartment communities to make bulk Senior Box deliveries, typically 200 senior boxes at a time. Previously, enrolled Senior Box program clients received their boxes at various distribution sites around the city, but now have their boxes delivered to their door.
For more information on Houston Food Bank and to learn where to get food assistance and to donate money or time, visit www.HoustonFoodBank.org.
About Houston Food Bank
Houston Food Bank’s mission is to provide food for better lives. Last year we provided access to 104 million nutritious meals in 18 counties in southeast Texas through our 1,500 community partners which includes food pantries, soup kitchens, social service providers and schools. We have a strong focus on healthy foods and fresh produce. In addition to distributing food, we provide services and connections to programs that address the root causes of hunger and are aimed at helping families achieve long-term stability, including nutrition education, job training, health management and help with securing state-funded assistance. We are a resource for individuals and families in times of hardship. We are a solution to food waste, working with grocery stores and growers to rescue food before it reaches landfills. In collaboration with our community, we advocate for policy change and promote dialogue on ways to increase access to food and to improve the lives of those we serve. Houston Food Bank works alongside our partner food banks in Montgomery County, Galveston Country, and Brazos Valley. Houston Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network, with a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
Visit us online. Website: houstonfoodbank.org; Facebook: facebook.com/thehoustonfoodbank; Twitter: @houstonfoodbank; Instagram: @houstonfoodbank; YouTube Channel: youtube.com/houstonfoodbank