A spring 2024 survey by Rice University’s Kinder Institute Center for Community and Public Health reports that two in five households in Houston and Harris County face food insecurity. The study links limited access to nutritious food with higher rates of chronic illness, lack of insurance, and delayed medical care, especially among lower-income and Hispanic residents. More than 640,000 Harris County residents rely on SNAP, while local organizations expand food assistance to meet rising need.

A federal judge in Texas has ordered 14 public school districts to remove Ten Commandments displays from classrooms and blocked enforcement of a 2023 state law requiring the biblical text in every classroom. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed in September by 15 families of diverse faith backgrounds who argue the law violates the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. The preliminary injunction halts the law statewide while the case proceeds in federal court and directs districts to remove existing displays and stop new installations.

The Salvation Army of Greater Houston and the CMA CGM Foundation will distribute more than 21,000 free holiday meals on November 19, 2024, at the Aldine Westfield Corps in Houston. Over 50 volunteers from CMA CGM and CEVA Logistics will hand out non-perishable food boxes, available on a first-come, first-served basis to anyone in the community. The initiative is part of the CMA CGM Foundation’s “Giving Across North America Initiative,” which supports families facing economic challenges during the holiday season.