Accessing Healthy Food
Accessing any food when you are experiencing homelessness can be difficult, so, often, simply accessing healthy food seems out of the question. Here are some resources that may help make it easier to manage your own health through your diet, especially if you are dealing with chronic illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol.
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Free Meals/ Food
1212 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 220-9737
Thurs-Mon, 7am to 2pm
Breakfast and hot lunches served Thursday - Monday. Enter through the Day Center entrance on Caroline Street. Intake: 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.. Serving 150 people per day and provides laundry, shower services and rest rooms all day. They also provide legal services, housing assistant, bus fare to appointments and referrals to Brigids hope, which is a program for women 35 and older who are formerly homeless or incarcerated that aims to reduce the number of women returning to the criminal justice system by providing resources that empower participants to lead safe and productive lives and thereby continuing the program's success rate of less than 10% recidivism.
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-12pm
Loaves & Fishes is located just east of Minute Maid Park, at 2009 Congress Avenue (the corner of Congress and Chartres streets). The lunch line begins forming around 10:30 a.m. for service beginning at 11 a.m. There is no cost or requirement.
322 S. Jensen Dr, Houston, TX 77003
(713) 224-2522
Mon-Fri, 11:30am to 12:30pm
Martha's Kitchen is a mission activity under St. Martha Catholic Church. Hot lunches are served for free, no ID required.
2515 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77006
(832)-819-0528
Mon and Thurs, 6pm
Montrose Grace Place provides a safe, welcoming environment for vulnerable, homeless youth of all sexual orientations and gender identities, by providing nourishment, healthy relationships, and hope for the future. Must be between ages of 13-21. They also provide computer and Wi-Fi access, and access to additional services like obtaining identification, housing, job readiness, legal aid, and more. Additionally they provide long term needs of youth by providing a safe space to exist, affirming supportive adults, and long-term, stable relationships.
SNAP Benefits
If you need assistance please dial 2-1-1 the Texas/United Way HELPLINE provides free information and referral assistance.
535 Portwall St, Houston, TX 77029
(713) 223-3700
Houston Food Bank’s Community Assistance Program (CAP) is focused on raising awareness in the service area of available social services and provides application and technical assistance for state-funded social and health services.
CAP can also provide referrals to many of our partner organizations through the Referral Partner program.
Houston food bank helps gives application assistance with the following:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash benefits
Children’s Medicaid
Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
Women’s Health Program (Family Planning, Health screenings thru Medicaid Program)
CHIP Perinatal Program