Target Hunger provides one of a few safe havens for enrichment activities for kids in Houston’s Fifth Ward community.  According to the 2003 United Way Community Assessment, 28.8% of all Houston area residents are concerned with the lack of neighborhood-based activities for youth outside of regular school hours.  Our program focuses on social enrichment, building stronger family units, and addressing issues by providing individual and family counseling.  

Target Hunger’s Youth Development Program consists of two components:  the R.I.S.E. (After-School Enrichment) Program and the Healthy Me (Summer Enrichment) Program. 

The Target Hunger R.I.S.E. Program, which targets at-risk/troubled girls ages 11-16, provides students the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities in a safe environment. This program focuses on developing girls to their full potential, building stronger families, and creating safer neighborhoods.  The program operates daily between the hours of 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm during the school year. The program is designed to develop girls to their full potential, building stronger families, and creating safer neighborhoods. 

The Target Hunger Summer Enrichment (Healthy Me) Program targets at-risk/troubled children and youth ages 6 -18.  During this program youth receive a nutritious lunch and snack, participate in a weekly reading program and bi-weekly field trips.  The program concentrates on developing healthy self-images in children and youth.  Sessions on friendship, self-love, choosing heroes/sheroes, being a hero/shero, goal setting, and career goals are designed to bolster participants self-esteem while educating them on how to make healthy choices in life.  The summer program also educates youth on health and safety, reinforcing such issues as personal hygiene, “stranger danger”, substance abuse prevention, alcohol abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, fire safety, and water safety.  In addition to developing these social and life skills, Target Hunger offers youth the opportunity to participate in “extracurricular” enrichment activities such as with dance, drum lessons, choir/chorus, cheerleading, and gymnastics.  The program operates daily between the hours 8:00 am to 4:30 pm during the summer.