Non-Profit

For families trying to stretch a grocery budget in Cypress and Cy-Fair, help often comes from a network of people and organizations working behind the scenes to keep local pantry shelves stocked. Cypress Assistance Ministries is recognizing several of those partners this week, thanking Chick-fil-A Houston, the Astros Foundation and organizations connected to Chick-fil-A Shared Table for supporting the CAM Food Pantry and its work to address food insecurity in the community.

CAM said the partnership is helping the nonprofit provide food and other resources to individuals and families who need them. The organization described the support as part of a shared effort to build a stronger and healthier community, with local businesses, nonprofits and charitable organizations working together to make sure neighbors have access to food during difficult stretches.

How Chick-fil-A Shared Table Helps Feed Houston-Area Families

Chick-fil-A Shared Table is a food-donation program through which participating restaurant Owner-Operators donate surplus food to local nonprofits, shelters and food banks rather than allowing usable food to go to waste. Nonprofit partners can then use those donations to help feed people experiencing food insecurity. Chick-fil-A launched the program in 2012, and it has grown to include thousands of participating restaurants and community partners.

In Houston, the effort has also intersected with the Astros Foundation's hunger-relief work. Through the partnership between Houston-area Chick-fil-A restaurants and the Astros Foundation, the organizations have supported programs including the “Bases Loaded” campaign. In 2024, Chick-fil-A restaurants pledged 1,000 meals each time the Astros loaded the bases, with the Astros Foundation matching the contribution for a total of 2,000 meals on each occasion. The Astros loaded the bases 62 times that season, resulting in 124,000 meals donated through the campaign, according to Chick-fil-A's 2024 Global Impact Report.

Cypress Assistance Ministries has been among the local nonprofits benefiting from the broader effort. In 2024, CAM was one of nine Houston-area Shared Table partner organizations that each received $10,000 through a Chick-fil-A fundraising initiative supporting organizations fighting hunger. Houston-area Chick-fil-A restaurants participating in Shared Table had also helped create more than 1 million meals for people in need by the end of that year.

Cypress Assistance Ministries Has Served Cy-Fair Since 1990

The assistance reaches an organization with deep roots in the Cypress community. Cypress Assistance Ministries traces its beginnings to 1990, when volunteers began feeding hungry neighbors with simple meals from the backseat of a car. What started as a grassroots effort eventually developed into a nonprofit providing food, emergency financial assistance, job counseling and training, adult education, clothing, household necessities and seasonal assistance to local residents.

Food remains a major part of that mission. CAM operates a client-choice Food Pantry where eligible neighbors can select items including fresh produce, dairy products, deli meats, frozen meals, shelf-stable foods, household goods and personal-care products. The nonprofit also provides grocery support for qualifying seniors and homebound residents and participates in the Houston Food Bank's Food for Change Fresh Market program.

The need behind those services is substantial. CAM reports that more than 30,000 people within its service ZIP codes live below the poverty line and about 12,000 children face food insecurity. The nonprofit says more than 36,000 people received assistance through its programs in 2024, illustrating how quickly financial pressure, rising household expenses or an unexpected crisis can translate into a need for food assistance close to home.

Local Partnerships Keep Help Close to Home

For Cypress residents, the latest recognition of Chick-fil-A Houston, the Astros Foundation and Shared Table partners is about more than a partnership between recognizable organizations. It is another piece of the local support system that helps put groceries on a neighbor's table when a household budget can't stretch far enough.

Residents who want to support Cypress Assistance Ministries can donate food, volunteer or contribute to its programs. Food donations are accepted at CAM, 12930 Cypress North Houston Road in Cypress, while volunteer opportunities are available for individuals and groups.

As local organizations continue working together to address hunger in Cy-Fair, My Neighborhood News will continue following the programs, partnerships and community efforts connecting Cypress-area families with the resources they need.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

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.

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