Three Houston charitable organizations are teaming up to make the holidays a little brighter for residents of the Third Ward. On December 23, Lucille's 1913 will distribute 5,000 meals to 1,000 families through a partnership with the Emancipation Park Conservancy that's sponsored by the Kinder Foundation.

Eligible residents of the 77004 and 77021 zip codes may register online for a pickup time on December 23. Recipients may pick up their meals by car or by taking public transportation and standing in a socially distanced line. Each meal will include chicken breast, macaroni and cheese, and Virginia-style green beans.

Founded by Lucille's chef-owner Chris Williams in response to the challenges of COVID-19, Lucille's 1913 is a 501(c)(3) that distributes meals to mostly elderly residents in the Sunnyside, Acres Homes, Fifth Ward, and Third Ward communities. Since the start of the pandemic, the organization's 18-person staff has produced more than 100,000 meals from facilities in Southwest Houston and the Fifth Ward.

“This is in line with the mission of Lucille’s 1913 from the very beginning, which is to feed those in need in these difficult times,” Williams said in a statement. “As a resident of Third Ward, I can see the need every single day. We were trying to think of how to have the biggest impact in the safest way possible, and we’re grateful to partner with Kinder Foundation and Emancipation Park Conservancy to pull this initiative off.”

Volunteers who are interested in assisting with the meal distribution may sign up to participate via lucilles1913.org, (832) 710-0953 or info@1913catering.com. Lucille’s 1913 will provide masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer for volunteers and staff.

“We appreciate this great partnership with the Kinder Foundation and Lucille’s 1913 to support the Third Ward community,” Ramon Manning, board chairman of Emancipation Park Conservancy, added. “This has been a challenging year for many families, and providing holiday cheer through meal distributions is a need that residents will be thrilled to receive and experience at Emancipation Park.”