HomeAid Houston marks Homelessness Awareness Month

To most of us, November brings excitement and anticipation because it represents the beginning of the Holiday Season, with Thanksgiving the official kickoff. To thousands of others, November is just another month of challenges and heartache, if you are one of the homeless men, women or children who struggle to stay warm and safe, and alive on the streets. November has been designated Homelessness Awareness Month, and HomeAid Houston is highlighting it with their Thanksgiving Basket Drive from November 4 through the 22nd.

HomeAid Houston is collecting an assortment of Thanksgiving items at their office at the Greater Houston Builders Association and assembling holiday dinner baskets to donate to three of their homeless care providers —

Angel Reach, Cannon Recovery House, and Fort Bend Women’s Center. Partnering with these organizations helps them continue their mission to “build new lives for homeless families and individuals through housing and community outreach.” This Basket Drive is made possible with the donation of basket items and the assistance to help assemble them.

HomeAid has been collecting the traditional foods that define a Thanksgiving feast. They include boxed stuffing, instant mashed potatoes, friend onions, canned cranberry sauce, canned mushroom soup, canned corn, canned yams, canned green beans, canned or powdered gravy, foil turkey roaster pans and non-perishable pumpkin spice flavored desserts. To help assist in purchasing a turkey, HomeAid is accepting $25 H-E-B Gift cards. The baskets will be assembled on November 22 and handdelivered to the agencies in time for Thanksgiving.

“The purpose of Homelessness Awareness Month is to draw attention to the needs of people who are homeless or who are facing homelessness locally, and to provide opportunities for the community to become involved with this national crisis,” said Patrick Mayhan, president of HomeAid Houston. “Most of us look toward the holidays as a time to honor the season’s traditions, but the best part of this season comes when we can give to others.”

For more information, visit www.homeaidhouston.org or call 281-970-8970.