H-E-B employees in Houston and throughout Texas volunteer in 23 communities where the Feast of Sharing serves more than 250,000 holiday meals annually.
H-E-B Feast of Sharing provides welcome table for thousand in Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center
By Albert C. Jones
America, The Diversity Place
HOUSTON, Texas — Today thousands of Houstonians, some homeless and some struggling through hard economic times, will be made to feel special and treated to a village feast in George R. Brown Convention Center.
For others who have come to gather in Exhibit Hall E of this cavernous facility, today offers a welcome table. It’s all good, whatever the reason they have come to enjoy people, being entertained and this Feast of Sharing.
This is the 21st year that H-E-B, a major grocery store chain in Texas, has hosted the Feast of Sharing, stopping in 23 communities throughout this state. More than 250,000 people will be served a complete holiday meal and good cheer that goes along with the holiday season.
H-E-B says, “The Feast of Sharing is the culmination of a year-round commitment H-E-B makes to fighting hunger. In addition to a holiday meal participants can enjoy music, arts and crafts and kids activities — even an appearance by Santa himself.”
Today is Sunday, December. 12 and more than 10,000 people are expected are expected to show up for a meal from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The H-E-B Eddie Garcia Mobile Kitchen, where meal preparation takes place, made its first stop on November 5 at the Horseshoe Arena in Midland, Texas.
The mobile kitchen made 15 stops, most recently in Beaumont before arriving in Houston. The next stop is the Killeen Civic and Conference Center, eventually completing with the 23rd stop at The American Bank Conference Center in Corpus Christi.
In here, whenever something “big” comes to Houston, the George R. Brown Convention Center is usually involved. There wouldn’t be any unease expecting more than 10,000 people. Summarily, this is the right venue for Houston’s Feast of Sharing.
There is a long line formed on Avenida de las Americas by the time the doors open at 1 p.m. The George R. Brown Convention Center, at least this exhibit hall, has been transformed into a village. In part, as the front door open, guests enter through the Feast of Sharing portal into a holiday playland. Carol O’Neal is all smiles serving bags of freshly popped popcorn.
There is an area for young children to romp on inflatables and space for “street artisans” to perform. Wouter Meidema, a senior drilling advisor for Houston-based Shell Oil Company, is juggling three oranges.
Alicia Whitley, H-E-B project leader, is passing out information packets to media types.
Houston social service organizations are here to provide helpful information. Those who want one can get a free flu shot.
The Junior ROTC color guard from Houston’s Charles H. Milby High School are getting ready for their flag duties with the help of Col. Charles E Benson, senior U.S. Army instructor, and Sergeant First Class Eric L. Hopkins. He is using a polish cloth on the silver helmet of Cadet Anna Cadriel, Battalion CSM for the Junior ROTC.
The cadet program at Milby High School, increasing “military knowledge, citizenship and leadership ability” in students at the school dates back to 1930. There are four cadets in their parade dress U.S. Army uniforms. After Benson and Hopkins have them ready for presentation, the four cadets pose for a photo, at parade rest, with the United States flag and a Lone Star State flag.
On the Feast of festival stage, serving as master of ceremony, there is the fashionable Deborah Duncan, host of Great Day Houston. The talk show airs on KHOU, the CBS affiliate. She introduces a minster dressed in black and wearing a clerical collar. He gives an invocation and blesses the welcome table.
Scott B. McClelland, president of H-E-B’s Houston and Central Market Division, expresses appreciation to those gather here and gives thanks to all the volunteers. The Junior ROTC color guard marches in and a track of The Star Spangled Banner is played. The Harbor Light Choir performs two songs accompanied by track.
They say, “The Harbor Light Choir is comprised of 10 to 14 current and former substance abuse program participants who have demonstrated success and initiative toward their recovery. These men make a one-year commitment to perform at various venues with the choir as a part of their work therapy. The Choir represents The Salvation Army as ambassadors of hope throughout Houston and internationally, performing concerts annually. The choir has performed as far away as Scotland and England.”
Backstage, a troupe of dancers from the Red Door Productions Performance Company prepares to make their entrance among children in the playland first and then take the stage when it is their turn to perform.
They say, “In the summer of 2010, Houston Red Door Productions opened its doors. The goal, establish a training facility under the leadership of young upcoming education and arts professionals with a desire to generate revolutionary dance training programs for children, teenagers and adults interested in dance as an art form, profession or physical activity.
“Instruction in the art of performance was merely the beginning,” they say. “To supplement instruction with performance opportunities the 2010 Red Door Productions Performance Company was formed.”
Out back, in the parking lot, the Eddie Garcia H-E-B Mobile Kitchen came laden with 3,000 pounds of sliced turkey, 2,500 pounds of cornbread dressing, 750 apple pies, 380 gallons of mashed potatoes, 140 gallons of turkey gravy and 95 gallons of cranberry sauce. Many of the Houston H-E.B employees, who daily fill roles of “commitment to excellence” are here as volunteers, delivering “exceptional service.”
When the Eddie Garcia Mobile Kitchen is not stopping at 23 communities for Feast of Sharing, it is utilized in emergency situations throughout Texas, working in partnership with the American Red Cross.
They say, “The company invested in the H-E-B Eddie Garcia Mobile Kitchen, a 45-foot food preparation trailer that can prepare approximately 2,500 hot meals per hour and easily dispatched to a community in need.”
H-E-B, now the nation’s largest independently owned food retailer and 13th largest overall, started more than a hundred years ago as a family-owned store in the Texas Hill Country. Nowadays, H-E-B has stores in 155 communities all over Texas and parts of Mexico. The San Antonio-based company has 329 stores and 76,000 employees.
Instead of the typical “friendly shopping” experience in one of the stores, Feast of Sharing guests this afternoon enjoy being served at the table dining by H-E-B employees.
This troupe of dancers from the Red Door Productions Performance Company in Houston is trained in artistic expression through various dance styles.