Located at 5351 W. Richey Road, Houston, the Bridging For Tomorrow food pantry is open Tuesdays from 2-6 p.m. and serves roughly 800 people each Tuesday. Through its participation in the Houston Food Bank's Food For Change program, Bridging For Tomorrow is able to offer fresh produce, meat and dairy, in addition to nonperishable items.
Executive Director Christy Sprague said when the pandemic first hit the Greater Houston area in mid-March, the demand for goods quickly outgrew the small food pantry's supply.
"Understanding need on paper does not prepare you for the sight of real hunger," Sprague said. "We did have to turn people away. It's a terrible feeling to run out of food. Finally we realized that no matter how much food we ordered, it would run out."
However, once the National Guard was assigned to assist Bridging For Tomorrow in April, Sprague said the nonprofit turned a corner and is now well on its way to distributing 2 million pounds of food by the end of 2020.
"The way that this community has come together is the only reason we are able to do this week after week," Sprague said. "One million pounds is a testament to our volunteers, our supporters, and partners. We're ready for it now. We're here for the long haul."
In addition to the food pantry, Bridging For Tomorrow also serves as a community center and offers counseling services; support groups; government benefits application assistance; COVID-19 resources; and classes in parenting, nutrition, finance and English as a second language for adults. For students, the nonprofit also offers a peer-to-peer support group, a reading squad, a homework assistance lab, career and technical education scholarships, summer enrichment programs and mentoring.
For information on volunteer opportunities with Bridging For Tomorrow, click here. 281-208-0830. www.bridgingfortomorrow.org
