• My name is Sidney Marie Chipman. I would like to introduce you to the House of Help in Hempstead. We are a  501 © (3) EIN:46-2238929 Charity Organization.  or yyou can say charity, organized to help  those with ongoing needs, a crisis situation or a local disaster. Our Moto is: “A Hand UP, not a hand OUT. ”  We opened our doors in 2012 as a Community Food Pantry, a Resource Center, a Thrift Store and a Partner of the Houston Food Bank, all located in Hempstead, Texas 77445.

We are one of four Food Pantries that support Waller County. The boundary maps used for each school district help neighbors know which pantry is located nearest them for assistance. Each school district or zip code is served by a Food Pantry.

The purpose of the Food Pantry is to help with the food insecurity of our community by providing groceries to help stretch what our neighbors already have in their pantries, which often runs out before the end of the month, including dog and cat food.

Neighbors come to the Pantry once a month, on four set dates of their choice, including Saturdays, to receive food. On these days, which coincide with deliveries from the Houston Food Bank, we have volunteers scheduled to assist them in getting their groceries. We are open for emergencies Tuesday thru Saturdays, 10 am – 3 pm. In 2025, we served 6,547 neighbors.

• The Thrift Store supports the cost of operations. We receive donations of new or gently used items. The items are checked, sorted, and given to neighbors in need or put out in the shop for sale. Items that are not selected to be sold are sent to a recycling company that sends it to 3^rd World Countries.

Thrift Store proceeds pay our or spell out House of Help HOH electric bill, supports various programs of assistance, and pays for additional groceries that we have to purchase to meet the needs of our neighbors.

The building that we use is owned by Faith United Church, who leases it to us at NO COST. This allows us to put more funds into programs that support our neighbors. It is a small building, about 1,200 square feet. Half of the building is for the Thrift Store and the other half is the food Pantry, with a small office and bathrooms. We have programs that we would like to be able to provide, but we need more space – a BIGGER or NEW building.

We assist thru a “Medical Grant” for meds, doctor visits, glasses and transportation to out of town doctors and hospitals. Proceeds from our Thrift Store, and monetary donations, when available, let us help with cell phones, gas for work or medical transportation, utilities or rent assistance. At Christmas, we offer “Toys For Tots” to assist parents in providing Christmas gifts for their children. December 2025, we served 500+ children in Hempstead. We work with our school district, local churches, probation dept., other non-profits and agencies to meet our neighbor’s needs. I can’t put all the many ways we offer assistance in a brochure.   We may be little, but by the Grace of God,  we are MIGHTY.