Group will pay laid off hospitality workers to volunteer at Houston Food Bank

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Houston Food Bank needs volunteers to pack quarantine kits

In the case of a coronavirus emergency where communities in need will need access to a reserve of food, the food bank is asking for your help to prepare.

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- As workers across the nation find themselves laid off or furloughed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a Houston non-profit organization has committed to providing a helping hand.

MFE Food is Love has decided to partner with the Houston Food Bank to provide work for hospitality employees whose livelihoods remain challenged during the pandemic.

The workers who fill volunteer shifts at the food bank will be paid for their time. Different shifts are said to be needed throughout Monday and Sunday.

Director of MFE Food is Love Jason Poon says his non-profit organization will pay workers $7.25 an hour, up to a 40-hour work week. Workers can expect to be needed until around April 4.

Since the self-funded organization provides food services, Poon said he began sorting through solutions as soon as they were alerted of the high number of lay-offs. But, he said they cannot do it alone.

"We've been supporting the Food Bank for years, and they're struggling right now. They're struggling in terms of money. They're struggling in terms of volunteers," said Poon. "We already had money earmarked to donate to the Food Bank in 2020, and we decided to reposition those funds to help members of the hospitality industry that lost their jobs who would like to do something positive for the community and get paid. We have a limited budget set aside for this, so the more money we can raise, the more people we'll be able to enlist in support of the Houston Food Bank."

All interested in filling out an application can email benefits@mfeltd.com.

If the organizations continues to receive donations, Poon says they would love to continue paying workers beyond their initial end date.