The Wow Project brings fresh food to Alief
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Vanessa Lipscomb in front of the food pantry. Photo: Shafaq Patel/Axios
The Wow Project is helping tackle Alief's food insecurity by giving away healthy groceries twice a month.
Why it matters: About 44% of households in the Alief area experience moderate or high food insecurity, per a recent Kinder Institute report, meaning they have limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
- The group helps bridge that gap for residents in the area, much of which is considered a food desert.
Flashback: Vanessa Lipscomb and her husband Jabrelle Lipscomb launched the organization in 2012 as a youth wellness initiative. During the pandemic, they pivoted to food rescue — collecting and redistributing food that would otherwise be wasted — after seeing the neighborhood's growing needs.
- Both have full-time jobs outside the nonprofit. They just want to be there for their community.
- They've since opened a pantry near Youngblood Intermediate School.
How it works: Twice a month, 25 to 40 people line up on Sundays to choose fresh produce, eggs and milk after signing up through a text form sent to more than 100 residents.
- Most of the food comes from grocers like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and Planet It Forward Farms — items still good to eat but pulled from shelves.
- Team members harvest kale, collards, herbs and watermelon from the on-site garden, located on land owned by Alief ISD.
- The group avoids processed snacks but occasionally offers baked goods and flowers. "It's already a food desert and there's a lot of health issues. I don't want to contribute to the problem," she says.
Between the lines: The pantry operates out of a bright yellow solar-powered shipping container — complete with AC, colorful fridges, painted walls and books on sustainable living. The space is intentionally welcoming, designed to feel like a community market rather than a charity.
- "We want people to feel comfortable, not embarrassed," Lipscomb tells Axios.
What they're saying: "There's a stigma about Alief — we want to highlight the good and bring people together," said Lipscomb, who grew up in the neighborhood. Most of her staff are from Alief, too.
- She added that anyone can find themselves in need of help — and that the pantry draws people of all ages and backgrounds, from young families to older residents across Alief's diverse community.
The big picture: Food insecurity remains widespread across Houston, per a recent Kinder Institute report. Nonprofits are doing much of the work to bridge that gap — from The Wow Project's neighborhood pantry to Urban Harvest's mobile markets that bring fresh, affordable produce into underserved areas.
Zoom out: With the federal government shut down, food banks are bracing for a surge in demand as key programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) face delays and low-income households lose reliable benefits.
What's next: The next food distribution is Nov. 2. Lipscomb's team hopes to grow partnerships with local groups and expand access to fresh, healthy food across the community.
- They also host quarterly gardening days and night markets for the community to get together.