Pix of the Day

Texans' Glover Quin launches campaign to convince kids it's cool to read

Texans safety Glover Quin reads one of his sons' favorite books to a group ofchildren at the United Way of Greater Houston’s “Readers Do Something About It”reading rally and book drive.
Photo by Craig Hartley
More than 5,000 books were donated.
Photo by Craig Hartley
The Houston Children Chorus performs the ABC song for an enthusiastic crowd.
Photo by Craig Hartley
A child becomes engrossed in a book at the rally.
Photo by Craig Hartley

Reading is cool, Houston Texans safety Glover Quin told more than 2,500 children, parents, community volunteers and fans at a gigantic "read-along" at Reliant Center Saturday morning.

The "Readers Do Something About It" rally, sponsored by the United Way of Greater Houston, brought in 5,000 donated children's books, which will be distributed to Houston-area youth organization reading programs.

“I want to make it cool to read, make good grades and go to college," Quin said.

Quin read an excerpt from his two young sons’ favorite book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, and told the kids that in order to reach their dreams they need to do well in school.

“I want to make it cool to read, make good grades and go to college," he said. “I (knew I) could be anything I wanted to be. And so I did just that. I read and studied. I graduated from college and got the opportunity to come and play football for the Houston Texans."

Quin, 26, is a graduate of University of New Mexico, where he was a three-year starter on the football team and was voted "Most Valuable Player" by his teammates. He was drafted by the Texans in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL draft.

Anna Babin, president and CEO of the United Way of Greater Houston, reminded the crowd that one in four students in the Greater Houston area does not graduate from high school. "We are working to change that by investing over $12 million annually in educational initiatives that lead to greater academic success for our children,” she said.

Also on hand were Texans president Jamey Rootes and 2012 United Way campaign chair Dorothy Ables, the chief administrative officer of Spectra Energy Corp. The Texans have teamed with United Way to promote reading and academic success for kids.

To join "Team Quin" as a volunteer reader, tutor or mentor for Houston school children, go to www.unitedwayhouston.org.

Got a great photo of a Houston happening or everyday occurrence? Or just a fun photo that shows why Houston is so unique? Send it to barbara@culturemap.com, along with details (who, what, where and why it's special). It might make our Pix of the Day.

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Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates swipe nearly $2B in packages from Texas homes this year

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

The Grinch isn't the only one stealing Christmas these days.

’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

holidays porch pirates crime