Cypress Assistance Ministries Celebrates First Harvest, Cultivates Hope and Service at Messiah Lutheran Community Garden
In a flourishing example of community collaboration and faith-driven service, Cypress Assistance Ministries (CAM) has celebrated the first harvest from the Messiah Lutheran Community Garden — a milestone that’s as symbolic as it is nourishing.
The garden, now under CAM’s stewardship, is more than rows of soil and produce. It is the realization of a seven-year dream held by Henry Lombraña, Director of CAM’s Food Pantry. “This has been a dream of mine for probably seven years,” said Lombraña. “Being able to go out there at the beginning and help plant the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the eggplants, to see them coming out, and then to harvest those and share them with our clients — that means a lot. We did this for them.”
From Vision to Verdant Reality
When CAM relocated to its current facility on Cypress North Houston, Lombraña initially hoped to start a garden onsite, but limited space redirected that vision. Years later, that vision bore fruit — literally — when Messiah Lutheran Church offered its well-established garden to CAM.
"I remember when they first started putting their garden together,” Lombraña said. “They reached out to me right before the holidays and said, ‘Would you like to take over our garden?’ I said, ‘Are you joking?’ It was an easy answer.”
With 12 raised beds, compost bins, an irrigation system, and a greenhouse already in place, CAM enthusiastically accepted the gift. Volunteers began planting in March. By early May, the first harvest — bush beans, cucumbers, and a single pepper — marked the beginning of a new chapter.
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A Tool for Empowerment and Education
CAM’s Messiah Lutheran Community Garden is not only a source of fresh produce for food-insecure families in Cypress; it’s also a teaching ground for empowerment and self-sufficiency.
“We want to use the community garden as a training tool for our clients,” said Lombraña. “Eventually we’ll offer training, maybe even small plot rentals to teach people how to grow and care for their own gardens. It’s a great opportunity for our clients and the community.”
CAM hopes to one day offer gardening classes in collaboration with organizations like Urban Harvest and the Cypress Community Garden Network, and plans are in motion for educational sessions led by local master gardeners.
Rooted in Service: The Mission of CAM
Cypress Assistance Ministries was founded in 1990 as a grassroots response to rising needs in the Cy-Fair area. Over the past 30+ years, it has grown into a vital nonprofit serving thousands each year with a spectrum of support services including financial assistance, job readiness programs, senior outreach, and a robust food pantry.
In 2024 alone, CAM’s Food Pantry served 36,105 individuals, distributing 1,207,925 pounds of food — a total value of $2,319,216. The addition of the Messiah Lutheran Community Garden is now poised to deepen CAM’s reach by providing fresh, nutritious produce while simultaneously creating hands-on opportunities for education and healing.
“My dad taught us, if you want something, pray for it,” Lombraña said. “After we planted, I went around the community garden and started praying. I give God credit for everything.”
CAM volunteers proudly showcasing the community garden's first harvest under the stewardship of CAM.Faith, Fellowship, and Fertile Ground
Faith plays a central role in CAM’s mission and in this gardening endeavor. For volunteers and staff alike, the garden is a reminder that small acts — planting, weeding, harvesting — can be deeply spiritual when done in service to others. It’s a space where belief becomes action, and where the community can witness hope taking root.
That spirit of faith and service extends beyond CAM. Volunteers from all walks of life — from youth groups to retirees — have answered the call to help. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Second Baptist are just a couple of the many community partners who give time and resources.
Regional Collaboration in Full Bloom
CAM is not working in isolation. The garden is part of a larger regional effort among Cypress-area organizations to grow, share, and serve. Other participants in the produce-sharing network include Reach Unlimited Greenhouse, Cy-Fair Helping Hands Garden, St. John Lutheran Church Community Garden, and The Living Legacy Center’s Oasis Garden.
“St. John Lutheran, almost all their harvest comes to us,” Lombraña shared. “Living Legacy and Cy-Fair Helping Hands do the same. If they have extra, they bring it to us. And nothing goes to waste — what we can’t use, we share with veterans’ groups and other local nonprofits.”
Once harvested, the fresh produce from CAM's Messiah Lutheran Community Garden is carefully cleaned, sorted, and delivered directly to CAM’s onsite Food Pantry, where it becomes part of the daily distribution to clients in need. Families visiting the pantry — located at 12930 Cypress N Houston in Cypress — receive these nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables alongside shelf-stable items and essential goods, reinforcing CAM’s mission to provide not just food, but health and dignity.
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How to Support the Garden
Cypress residents, faith groups, and local businesses are invited to support CAM’s community garden in several ways. Volunteers are needed on Thursdays and Saturdays for weeding, harvesting, and washing produce, and all ages are welcome. Donations of supplies or sponsorships are also welcome. But even simple acts — like spreading awareness or inviting a neighbor to get involved — can make a difference.
“To share what our mission and our goals are — that’s how people can support us,” Lombraña said. “We’re growing this for the community. We just want to share.”
In addition to supporting CAM's community garden, food donations from the public are welcomed year-round during pantry donation hours (Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturdays until 3:00 p.m.), and clients can access food services Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., following a meeting with a Client Services Counselor.
To learn more about volunteering or supporting the garden, visit CAM’s website at cypressassistance.org.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.
