The 42-year-old nonprofit, which delivers meals and helps fill kitchens for thousands of residents, operates in the most food-insecure section of Harris County. A report released Monday by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research’s Center for Community and Public Health shows more than half of residents experience moderate or high food insecurity in much of northern Harris County, including 80% in the Greenspoint & IAH area.
The findings are based on a seven-question survey taken by 5,200 people across the county. Food insecurity is defined as unreliable access to sufficient food or food of adequate quality.
In an interview, Kristi Slawinski, Northwest Assistance Ministries’ director of senior services and a 16-year veteran of the nonprofit, said her organization helps address food needs in multiple ways. The nonprofit operates a Meals on Wheels program, hosts an on-site food pantry and serves five free meals a week to people 60 and older.
Still, children and adults in the area routinely go hungry. Here’s what Slawinski said would help fill more stomachs and kitchens in the area.
Better transportation
Community members near Northwest Assistance Ministries face transportation challenges, especially older adults or residents with disabilities. While there are bus stops in the area, they’re often not equipped to transport people with disabilities, Slawinski said.
“The bus stops are really lacking,” Slawinski said. “Even if there were more grocery stores in their area, they still couldn’t get to it. They don’t have a way to get out, and they don’t have the ability to get back home. We see a lot of people who are just stuck in their homes.”
More nearby grocery stores
The U.S. Department of Agriculture classifies significant portions of north Harris County as food deserts, meaning residents live more than 1 mile from the nearest supermarket.
In some sections of the Greenspoint and East Aldine area, a bus trip to the nearest supermarket can exceed one hour each way.
“Healthy, nutritious food needs to be more accessible, especially in low-income areas,” Slawinski said. “I think that there should be a grocery store in the Greenspoint area. It's baffling to me that there’s not.”
More food delivery programs
Northwest Assistance Ministries’ Meals on Wheels program provides more than 800 meals each weekday, primarily for residents who are disabled or 60-plus years old.
Still, Northwest Assistance Ministries’ supply doesn’t meet the total demand. Even for recipients, the delivered meal — one meat entree, two vegetables and one fruit portion, a dessert and a drink — often isn’t enough for three square meals per day.
“For the Meals on Wheels clients that we serve, we find that what we provide is typically the only thing they eat during the day,” Slawinski said. “A lot of times, we see them portioning out that meal as well.”
Stronger community support
While Northwest Assistance Ministries’ food pantry and Meals on Wheels program have grown in the past year, staffing those efforts has become a challenge. The nonprofit struggles to find volunteers, part of a nationwide trend.
Slawinski said volunteer hours have decreased by about 500 per month in the last year, and staff members have started to deliver meals on routes typically covered by volunteers.
“We’ve seen a huge change since the pandemic. People have stopped volunteering or they’re spending less time volunteering,” she said. “It’s taking more and more effort to get the work done that we used to rely on volunteers for. I encourage people to get involved with their churches and charities.”
