Top 10 Volunteer FAQs
Where are events held?
Events are held at Holy Spirit Episcopal; 12535 Perthshire Road; Houston, TX 77024. Ample parking is available in both the east and west lots.Where do I go once I arrive to Holy Spirit?
Volunteers gather in Palmer Hall which is located directly across the courtyard from the church sanctuary. Look for our white, vertical flag which will mark the entrance.What should volunteers expect during an assembly event?
Volunteers gather to pack weekend food bags for the children in our program. Long tables are set up in Palmer Hall for assembly line work. When volunteers arrive, they can begin packing food by moving through the line and placing food items into the bags provided. Leaders will be on hand to help instruct.What is packed in each bag? Generally, volunteers will place one of each item from the tables into a bag. This will include: 2 protein servings; 2 fruit servings; 2 breakfast items and a snack. At times, we will have encouraging notes or special holiday treat bags to include but everything you need will be staged on the tables.
Who can volunteer? We love having volunteers of all ages, and have a job for every person willing to serve.
Do volunteers need to register? Community Assembly events are open to the public and do not require registration.
Are volunteers required to bring a donation? No! Volunteers are only asked to come and help to pack weekend food bags. If they’d like, we are happy to accept one of our Food Focus items as a donation to our pantry (see website for donation schedule).
Is there a way to volunteer from home? Yes! Download these note cards and decorate with encouraging messages. Or, use index card sized paper and design your own! Please place all cards in a zip top bag and drop in the box outside the office at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. For our document of encouraging words, Click here.
Can groups attend Community Assembly events? Yes, but please contact us so that we can adequately prepare to accommodate your group. RSVP for your group at volunteer@bayoubityblessings.org or by calling the church office 713-468-7796.
Can I make a financial donation to the Bayou City Blessings? Yes. We are a privately funded organization and welcome financial support. Each weekend food bag is budgeted at $2.63 or $100 to support one child during the 38 weeks of school. Donate here.
General FAQs
What do you put in a weekend food bag?
Each bag contains 7-8 food items for the weekend. Examples of items packed in our bags include (2) servings of protein such as cans of tuna, cans of chicken, cans of ravioli, macaroni and cheese, soups, beans and/or rice (2) fruit items such as raisins, craisins, fruit cups, applesauce, or a fresh fruit option; (2) breakfast items including cereal bowls, oatmeal, grits, shelf-stable milk, or a granola bar and 1-2 snack items such as cheese or graham crackers.
How are children identified?
Children are identified by school staff based on enrollment in federal meal assistance programming. The goal of BCB is to provide a weekend food bag to every child on a program campus who qualifies and is identified by school staff. Once a child is identified, they are provided with a backpack. Each Friday, bundles of food are assembled and delivered by volunteers to each program school where teachers and staff help place the food bundles into the child’s backpack for transport home.
What happens in the summer?
BCB pre-packs ready to eat meals for distribution over the summer. Bags are delivered in bulk to schools with summer programming and distributed each week by school staff. Additionally, children at each of our schools are directed by teachers and school staff to summer meal programs.
How does BCB support students during standardized testing?
BCB provides snacks such as crackers, pretzels, fruit and water to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students during STARR exams.
What happens over a long holiday break?
BCB provides additional foods or foods with larger serving sizes to children prior to a long, holiday break such as those over Thanksgiving, Christmas or at Spring Break. BCB must always be mindful of the weight of each bag as children are transporting these bags home inside their backpack.
Does BCB do anything special during holidays?
BCB provides holiday treat bags to children at Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s and Easter. This becomes something “extra” for each child to take home in their regular weekend food bags. These holiday bags contain treats such as a Rice Krispie treat, fruit roll-up and/or holiday shaped pretzels.
What kind of notes do you accept?
Or Is there anything else that goes inside the bag?
BCB accepts notecard/postcard sized notes of encouragement to be included inside the weekend food bags that are assembled. Notes can be decorated or illustrated in any creative way using stickers, markers, crayons and pens, but please don’t sign the cards using your first and last name. Many of the kids tell us that receiving a note is “a favorite” thing to receive and one boy told us “it was really special and I kept it for a really long time.”. For examples of what to write as encouragement, click here.
Where do you get your food?
Bayou City Blessings is a member of the Harris County Department of Education Choice Partners Co-Op which allows the purchase of food items specifically designated for children (meeting all nutritional standards for elementary cafeterias) at a pre-negotiated group rate. Our participation in this Co-Op ensures best practice (quality and price) in food purchasing. BCB is grateful to have Gordon Food Services as our primary partner. Orders are placed via the Choice Partners menu through Gordon Food Services and delivered directly to us every Wednesday. Foods are then packed and distributed every Friday during the school year. This model follows an “in and out” distribution system. Food comes in and then food immediately goes out. Additionally, BCB partners with Mexilink for the purchase of such items as tuna and beans; with Diversified Foods, Inc for shelf-stable milk and with Sysco Corp for pre-packed meals and specialty food proteins. By purchasing foods, BCB manages food safety and handling while also tracking all expiration dates. BCB is a proud agency partner of the Houston Food Bank.
Additionally, BCB has a “Food Focus” program, where specific staple pantry items are collected each month. This allows for community donations of items specifically timed and managed for distribution. Click here for our Monthly Food Focus. Donations may be dropped at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church or School Monday-Friday 9 am-3 pm, or before and after Sunday services. To make alternate arrangements for a donation, please email us.
How does BCB support teachers and staff?
BCB is grateful for the partnership of each school, teacher, administrator and staff as they play the critical role of helping kids get bags home! Throughout the year, BCB hosts teacher appreciation events at program schools.