Who We Are
We are the guys under the I-75 overpasses in Houston and Dallas looking for the homeless folks who are not being served by other organizations.
There are some great and noble groups serving the homeless in Texas. As of 2020 we are fortunate to be partnered with one of the best, Five Loaves Pantry. However they require a personal visit from a homeless person in order for that person to be fed or clothed.
There are unfortunately a large group of those who are homeless, that for one reason or another, either cannot or will not go into a shelter or food pantry.
This is who we serve. We go to where they are and give them lifesaving food and clothing.
OUR APPROACH
We serve a segment of the homeless population that is not seen. It may be that they are a non-English speaking child who has been abused, so they are not going to go to a food pantry for fear of strangers. A lot of the adults we serve have mental states that keep them from communicating with others, so nobody sees them. These folks go without adequate clothing and blankets when it is cold and protection from the blazing Texas sun when it is hot.
Because we show up over and over, we have been able to make contact with some of the members of this overlooked segment and we are a major part of their survival process.
Every life counts. If we can get them through today, maybe tomorrow things will improve.
OUR STORY
Way back in the summer of 2010 my car was in the shop and I needed some stuff, so I rode my bike a couple of miles into South Houston, TX. It was hot – way too hot to be riding a bike. I pulled over at a little taco stand to cool off, and there I met a homeless guy who said his name was Ted.
South Houston is a pretty grim little town, mostly workers for the many chemical plants around there, so meeting Ted wasn’t a big surprise as that area has hundreds of homeless folks like him.
I didn’t usually talk to homeless people back then, but he looked really down and out. Plus he was sitting just a few feet from me as I was standing at the order window when he asked me for some food, so I couldn’t easily walk away.
I bought us each a couple of tacos and an iced tea and, as there was only the one old, dusty picnic table, I sat down across from him. I had a low opinion of the homeless in general, but he was surprisingly knowledgeable and interesting. He looked down and out because he was. When he got out of the service things didn’t go well due to PTSD. He lost every job he had and said he knew it was his fault but still there he was with nothing.
A week or so later I was going into a local grocery store and I saw him again, sitting on the sidewalk asking everyone for a dollar. It was a typical broiling Texas day, but I had an air-conditioned car and house while he was sitting in the direct sun getting baked. Something inside me snapped, I gave him $20, and he acted like he had won the lottery.
I never saw him again, but he changed my life. I am a retired financial planner, I have more than I need, so I started helping homeless folk whenever I came across them. Sometimes I gave them some money, most times I gave them some food, and almost always my gift was received with graciousness and a sometimes embarrassing amount of “Thank you”.
After a year I had established a more-or-less constant route around the Hobby Airport area and was handing out food, drinks and some clothing that friends had given to me.
A decade later I divide my time between Houston and Dallas and have established areas and routes, handing out drinks and food, clothing, blankets and waterproof covers. We should be able to do much more in 2020 due to the many volunteers that are now available because of our new partnership with Five Loaves Pantry.
It makes me feel good to help, I have the ability to help, and I intend to keep doing it until I can’t any more.
MEET THE TEAM
As of 2020, we have seen huge changes for the better. We are now partnered with Five Loaves Pantry, and under their umbrella, we can hopefully double the number of folks we can help this year.
We have remained too small for too long, because we serve a very select population.
The thousand or so kids and adults that get meals and clothing from our efforts every month need it just as bad as those getting help from billion dollar multi-national organizations. And because of our unique delivery methods, we are able to help those who aren’t getting help from the big guys. We will go behind a deserted warehouse or into other less-than-hospitable spots and give the guy hiding back there a sandwich and a coat.
The job is enormous and the number of displaced and hungry gets bigger every day.
We are excited about the new partnership and the prospects for doing so much more this year.
YOU CAN HELP
We immediatley give away everything we are given. We are always in need of non-perishable food items, clothing, blankets and waterproof coverings