<div><strong>A 10-mile drive for fresh food in a food desert isn't just inconvenient—for millions of Americans, it's impossible.</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Several times each week, Lakisha Collins straps her 4-year-old son into his stroller for a 2-3 hour journey across Houston's public transit system to reach the nearest full-service supermarket—just 1.8 miles away. Without a vehicle like most of her neighbors, she can only buy what they can physically carry, repeating this exhausting trip every few days.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Lakisha's story isn't unique. 724,750 Houstonians—1 in 4 residents—live in food apartheid zones where zip code determines lifespan and systematic disinvestment has created a crisis hiding in plain sight.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>David Florence El's Vision Lives On</strong>
</div>
<div>When David Florence El's children asked why they couldn't have fresh fruit for school lunch, he dreamed bigger than blaming the local corner store. David and his friends envisioned community-based grocery stores in every food apartheid zone. Though David lost his battle with lymphoma before building the first store, he left behind a powerful vision.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>David's dream is now our mission.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>We call it Project Feed Us!</strong>
</div>
<div>This isn't just about building a grocery store—it's our declaration of food independence.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>“Project Feed Us!” How We're Turning Dreams Into Food Justice</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>There seems to be a lack of concern and/or commitment to our communities. The dream of making our community more vibrant and self-sufficient has continued to go unheard. It's our community, so it's on us.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Project Feed Us! Brick by Brick…
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Owned and operated by us, our hands.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Supporting the less fortunate and those who need a place to shop for affordable, quality food, great produce, fresh meats, and so much more.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>We are reaching out to all communities to make this dream a reality…
</div>
<div>To make the impossible possible.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>The Hidden Crisis</strong>
</div>
<div>While Houston celebrates growth, families in food deserts pay 37% more for groceries at convenience stores while earning 400% less than affluent neighborhoods. Bus stops reach 92.5°F—making grocery shopping life-threatening for elderly residents. Diabetes death rates double in areas without fresh food access.
</div>
<div>This isn't an accident. It's the result of decades of redlining and corporate abandonment.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Our Community-Based Solution</strong>
</div>
<div>Corporate chains called our neighborhoods "unprofitable." That's exactly why community ownership succeeds where corporations fail. Detroit's People's Food Co-op serves thousands while employing 40+ locals. Oakland's Mandela Foods survived the pandemic supporting local farmers.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Project Feed Us! will be Houston's first community-based grocery store:
</div>
<ul>
<li>End grocery apartheid by bringing 40,000+ fresh products within walking distance
</li>
<li>Create 17+ living-wage jobs for residents
</li>
<li>Keep dollars circulating locally instead of flowing to corporate headquarters
</li>
<li>Cut diabetes rates while preventing $1.4 million in annual emergency costs
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Proven Impact</strong>
</div>
<div>Community stores transform neighborhoods:
</div>
<ul>
<li>Detroit: $500,000 investment now serves 2,100 member-owners; property values increased 15%
</li>
<li>Oakland: Survived COVID when competitors closed, employs 25+ with living wages
</li>
<li>Chicago: Reduced diabetes rates 22%, cut diet-related ER visits 35%
</li>
<li>Join the Movement
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>Food apartheid affects 23.5 million Americans.</strong> When Project Feed Us! succeeds, we become the model for communities nationwide fighting the same battle.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Your donation isn't charity—it's the smartest way to create community transformation. Every dollar stocks fresh produce, saves transportation costs for elderly residents, creates living wages, and builds the foundation for food sovereignty David envisioned.
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>This is about justice, dignity, and proving communities can solve their own problems.</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Ready to transform food apartheid into food sovereignty? Ready to honor David's dream while creating lasting change?
</div>
<div>Join Project Feed Us! Today
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><em>Follow our progress @JoinMNECC. Together, we're building proof that another world is possible.</em>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div><strong>In memory of David Florence El and in service to every family that deserves fresh food without a two-hour bus ride...</strong>
</div>

Anonymous

Shadara Hampton

Brian j field

Melvin Harris

Emilie Davis

JaQuay Young

Bonnie Carter

Seth Patner

Imsety El

Naquisha Brandiburg El

Andriea McKnight

DeAnthonee Liggins

Fresh Food 4 Forgotten Children in Houston Food Deserts

Fresh Food 4 Forgotten Children in Houston Food Deserts

Still $6,103 to go. Help us build momentum.