Cy-Hope Launches Food Locker Program Benefitting Local High School Students
Each year, Cy-Hope’s Backpack Feeding Program Director works with Houston Food Bank and school counselors to determine the percentage of food-insecure students to include in each school's allotment of weekly food bags. While Cy-Hope sees high enrollment in elementary schools, they need help to get participation at the middle - and high school levels.
The community food lockers help Cy-Hope eliminate food insecurity for older students by offering a central location for discreet, remote access to food as an alternative to the in-school Backpack Buddy Feeding Program. Cy-Fair ISD has an allotment of 475 middle-school bags, but only 31 students participate in the program. Cy-Ridge High School has an allotment of 155 students but only has five participating. Jersey Village High School has an allotment of 100 bags, but only three students are enrolled. Cy-Hope now operates a pilot food locker at Jersey Village High School to help more high school students get the food they need.
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Food lockers can provide easy access to nutritious food for 64 of the most food-insecure families in our community. Cy-Hope has 15 families participating so far.
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Each family receives bi-weekly food distribuJons, alternating between cold and frozen food items weekly.
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Each family orders the food they need using the Order Ahead portal and accesses their bi-weekly food distribution via the locker.
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Families select from various foods – produce, dairy, and meat – and non-perishable items.
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Every other week, the families participating in this program can order non-perishables, fresh produce, and dairy products, including older students and those experiencing homelessness.
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On alternating weeks, the same families would order frozen meat.
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Participating families get codes to use over 72 hours, giving them more control over when they receive the food.
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Families get any technical support needed from our Backpack Program Director via telephone.
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Program success allows a conjunction of food delivery over holidays and through the summer months when schools close.
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Cy-Hope has plans to install additional food lockers in Cy-Fair and Waller to create long-lasting, systemic change in our community by expanding convenient access to healthy foods.
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Houston Food Bank is the largest food bank in the United States in size and distribution, serving 18 counties in Southeast Texas.
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Cy-Hope’s food locker will serve as a model for other organizations and school districts in Houston Food Bank's service area for installing the lockers to help their food-insecure families participating in free-and-reduced lunches yet hesitant to receive food via the Backpack Buddy Feeding Program.
About Cy-Hope
Cy-Hope brings needs and solutions together, bringing hope to at-risk children so they will grow into educated and productive citizens. This will, in turn, make a lasting and positive impact on the community of Cy-Fair. Our vision at Cy-Hope is to rally our entire community: businesses, education, churches, civic organizations, hospitals, and individual volunteers to advance the goal of making life better for kids in our community.
To learn more about Cy-Hope's food locker program, as well as many other programs offered by Cy-Hope, please visit cy-hope.org.
Source: Cy-Hope
