Mayor Sylvester Turner, his Health Equity Response (H.E.R.) Task Force, physicians and community volunteers gave away masks, produce, meat, milk, census literature, and COVID-19 educational materials in Alief over the weekend.
About 1,000 vehicles drove up to the Notre Dame Catholic Church on Boone Road to receive in the contact less distribution event masks donated by Bank of America to the H.E.R. Task Force and food provided by the Houston Food Bank on Saturday, Aug. 22. Alief residents who walked up to the site also received assistance, food and masks.
“The need for masks and food is still great as we move through this pandemic,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “The H.E.R. Task Force zeroes in on communities that need our attention the most and helps to provide the necessary supplies to residents in those neighborhoods. We couldn’t do this without the great support of our partners and volunteers who devote their time to helping others.”
The H.E.R. Task Force received a boost in its outreach efforts with a generous $10,000 donation from the Houston-based I Believe in Change organization, founded by David Imonitie.
Houston-based community organizations that organized volunteers who donated their time and sweat equity to the event include the Houston Medical Forum, Vietnamese American Medical Association, American Heart Association, Mary Susan Moore Medical Society, Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas – Houston Chapter, Philippine Nurses Association of Metro Houston, Alief Super Neighborhood, Light and Salt Association, Alpha Eta Alpha, and the 100 Back Men of Houston.
Additionally, medical personnel and medical students from University of Texas Medical Branch, Baylor College of Medicine, and McGovern Medical School at University of Texas Health Science Center also contributed their time and energy.