Students organizing the donations for Help Feed Houston. | Courtesy of Kelechi Iroegbu
UH students took part in the Help Feed Houston event on Wednesday, using a meal exchange as a way to donate money and food.
Help Feed Houston was created by public health junior Kelechi Iroegbu to give back to those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. This non-profit event was promoted by reposts on Instagram and Twitter for two weeks prior to the event.
“The meal exchange process is pretty simple,” Iroegbu said. “Students who have unused meal exchanges can donate their food to then be packaged and served as individual meals to those suffering from homelessness.”
Monetary donations will go toward constructing care packages that will provide hygiene items to local Houstonians. These packages will consist of masks, antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, hygiene products and essential cosmetic supplies.
Some students who helped put the event together holding the donations. | Courtesy of Kelechi Iroegbu
Packages were dropped of one of the major homeless encampments across from Tout Suite, and at a local metro station which has a large homeless community as well.
“My role consisted of scouting the areas we will deliver to, shopping for and creating the care
packages, and distribution of the care packages and meal exchanges,” said co-coordinator Aidan Wright.
“Coming to Houston in 2017, I saw the huge homeless population and felt a huge urge to reach out to those people who are going through rough circumstances.”
Wright started volunteering at a homeless clinic in 2019, where he discovered his passion for
giving back to those in need. When he seen the opportunity to help with the new event, he knew
it was his calling to continue to help.
“I wanted to create an event to help assist those who have been displaced from their homes, especially during this coronavirus pandemic,” Iroegbu said. “Houston has always had that mantra that we are ‘Houston Strong’.”
