For 25 years, Lexington Square residents relied on weekly donations from a local food bank to put food on the table and maintain a healthy diet.
But when the donations suddenly stopped in early 2024, the 129 seniors at Houston-area National CORE communities, including Lexington, Sunflower Terrace and Countryside Village, struggled with food insecurity.
“It was so upsetting when the food bank stopped delivering to our area,” Charles said.
That’s when Hope through Housing jumped into action.
Regional Director Lakeshia Johnson secured a $13,000 Texas State Affordable Housing Corp. grant to buy grocery store gift cards and emergency aid materials to support her seniors. Lakeshia and her team handed out more than $5,100 in Walmart gift cards to help residents to buy groceries.
“I saw how awful it was for our residents when they lost their food bank,” she said. “It’s too often that senior citizens get overlooked in our society, so I knew I had to do something.”
The rest of the grant funds purchased toiletries such as sanitation cloths, soap, deodorant, toothpaste and toilet paper to create emergency preparedness kits for each senior resident.
“I appreciate any help I can get,” Charles said. “The gift card had such a big impact.”
Barbara, a 72-year-old Countryside Village resident, called the gift card a godsend since it allowed her to choose the healthier food options required by her diabetes.
“It was such a blessing to get those gift cards,” Barbara said. “It was so nice for Hope through Housing to help us out when we needed it most.”