Page 15 - The Voice Fall-Winter IV

Houston

Community Partnership in Action:
Top Teens - Houston Chapter and The Manna

Houston Chapter Top Teens and Manna House Staff
Organizing Food Donations

Houston’s Texas Southern University celebrated their annual homecoming October 21-27, 2018. The week of fun and
festivities culminated on the 27th with a parade through the streets of historic Third Ward. While the renowned Ocean
of Soul band, the Homecoming Court, and other parade participants passed by on the outside to thrill the crowds, the
Top Teens of the Houston Chapter were inside hard at work in service to one of our community partners, The Manna
House Food Pantry. The Manna House, a ministry of the Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ, is a
community-based co-op that distributes food for free to low income families in the Third Ward area. Manna House
receives donations from numerous food banks and these items must be prepared for the weekly distribution. All hands
were on deck as the Houston Chapter Top Teens went to work opening boxes, sorting and shelving canned goods and
non-perishables. After these tasks were completed the Teens assisted the Manna House staff with cleaning the pantry
and moving empty boxes and trash out to the dumpsters. The diligent work of the Houston Chapter Teens raised
compliments from the Manna House staff and praises to the Top Teen advisors present. Nanette Edwards, director of
the Manna House and the First Lady of Pilgrim Congregational also gave the Teens accolades for their work and
requested their assistance for future service ventures.