By Juhi Varma
HOUSTON: Houston-based Indo American organization Club 24 Plus marked 713 Day by bringing the community together to support one of the city’s most important causes: fighting hunger.
Led by Ashok Garg, Club 24 Plus has made philanthropy a defining part of its mission.
Traditionally held on July 13, this year’s celebration was rescheduled to July 18. It took place once again at the 308,000 square-foot Houston Food Bank on Portwall Street, where Club 24 Plus members and community leaders gathered for lunch, networking and presentations.
“The Houston Food Bank, what does it do?,” Garg said. “It provides food to the less advantaged. That’s critical.”
Each year, Club 24 Plus partners with HFB to raise money for hunger relief. Donations made through the campaign are matched by other donors, significantly increasing the impact of each contribution. Organizers announced that this year’s effort generated $95,491 for the Houston Food Bank.
“We are able to turn that into more than 286,000 meals that are supporting children and families in our 18-county service area of Southeast Texas,” said David Chaney from HFB.
That’s more than 286,000 meals provided to children and families across Southeast Texas.
The fundraising partnership began when Garg approached HFB three years ago. Although the inaugural fundraiser was disrupted by a hurricane and the proceeds were redirected to disaster relief, the collaboration continued.
Club 24 Plus frequently works alongside other civic organizations to maximize fundraising efforts and community impact, including Indian Doctors Charity Clinic and the Houston Rotary Club.
“I have to give a big shout out to Club 24,” said Christopher Schneider from Rotary District 5890. “Every year we raise anywhere between $25,000 and $30,000 for scholarship programs. We give 10 students from the Memorial Spring Branch area scholarships to help them get through college. I have to give a shout out to Ashok and to Club 24 for supporting us in that endeavor.”
Representatives from the Houston Food Bank spoke about the continuing challenge of food insecurity in one of America’s fastest-growing metropolitan regions. Food insecurity is not exactly the absence of food, but the lack of nutritious meals.
To address this need, the Houston Food Bank operates a variety of programs, including Kid’s Cafe, which provides free meals and snacks to children through after-school and community programs.
Sameera and Ashish Mahendru donated $5,000 once again. Sameera Mahendru said her family has long supported the Houston Food Bank and was pleased to participate in Club 24 Plus’ annual fundraising effort, describing the organization as an important resource for families facing food insecurity.
Expansion plans
HFB has evolved significantly since its founding in 1982, shifting from distributing basic canned goods to providing healthier, more nutritious food, including medically tailored meals for people with conditions such as diabetes, Chaney said. Over the past year, it distributed 143 million meals—more than any other food bank in the world—with nearly half of its food consisting of fresh produce. Chaney said demand continues to rise as Southeast Texas’ population grows, noting that many of the families served have at least one employed adult but still struggle to afford food after paying rent and utilities. To meet the increasing need, the Houston Food Bank works with about 1,600 partner organizations across 18 counties and is expanding its facilities after outgrowing its current warehouse.
“I worked for the food bank from 2009 to 2012, I helped raise the funds for this facility, and when we moved in in 2011 into this facility we thought we’ll never need any additional space,” Chaney said. “When Hurricane Beryl came through, we had really challenging issues. We did not have space to handle all the food product coming in, so a decision was made a few years ago that we needed to expand.”
A new, larger facility is expected to open in 2028. The new location will help the organization keep pace with the growing demand for food assistance as Harris County’s population continues to increase.
The new facility is being built on a 53-acre site at 2121 West Mount Houston Road in northwest Houston, on land that was donated by Chevron. Construction is expected to begin in late 2026 and continue through 2027.
What is Club 24 Plus?
Founded in 2006, Club 24 Plus is known for blending social networking, cultural exchange, and philanthropy. Over the years, it has raised more than $1.2 million for more than 10 charitable organizations including UNICEF, Save-A-Mother, and Ekal Vidyalaya.
What is 713 Day?
713 Day is an annual celebration of Houston that honors the city’s historic 713 telephone area code while encouraging residents to take pride in their community, support one another, and celebrate Houston’s diversity.
“Basically, it’s a celebration of the city itself,” said Leo Aguirre from HFB. “It’s recognizing the area code that we’ve had for Houston since 1947.”
