Houston Food Bank: School Market Program Grant

Houston Food Bank: School Market Program Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Houston Food Bank
Amount: Unspecified amount in in-kind support
Last Updated: September 09, 2025

Summary

The Houston Food Bank's School Market Program aims to alleviate child and teen hunger by providing nutritious food to students and their families at middle and high schools. With one in five children in Southeast Texas facing food insecurity, this program addresses the needs of adolescents transitioning from traditional food assistance. By empowering students through volunteer opportunities, the program fosters leadership while ensuring access to essential nutrition, which is crucial for academic success and community health.

Overview

About Alleviating child and teen hunger by providing food to students and their families at middle and high schools. One in five Southeast Texas children is considered food insecure, which means they don’t have consistent access to enough nutritious food. Children need nourishment for success—nourishment of body, mind, and spirit. The School Market program was developed to improve access to nutritional foods to middle and high school students, a vulnerable population that can be difficult to serve as they outgrow programs like Kids Cafe and Backpack Buddy. School Markets are located on with set distribution schedules. A key feature of School Markets is that they are staffed by students who receive trainings on how to set up product, restock and clean up the area after distributions. Besides being an opportunity for practiced leadership for student volunteers, School Markets provide critical nutrition to older children which results in better grades, improved attendance, and a healthier community.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. The Houston Food Bank is looking to partner with schools/organizations that will support students and their families as they work towards healthy, stable lives. HFB School Programs representatives work with partners to monitor, collect and track the progress and outcome of school pantry clients as they journey towards self-sufficiency.Agree to designate 2 of your staff members to provide oversite of the student market.Agree to provide “core” student volunteers to unload truck, stock shelves, service clients, conduct customer service surveys.Agree to the tracking and maintenance of client records with our electronic client data system Link2Feed.Agree the food provided cannot be sold, used for other programs, used at fundraisers, given to staff (unless registered as a client), or used for any other purpose other than to provide food to chronically hungry families.Brick and Mortar Market must commit for 2 years.Mobile Market must commit for 1 year.