Volunteers help fill boxes of food for Houston's hungry

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Houston Food Bank is getting a helping hand today, as volunteers sort and fill food boxes to help feed Houston's hungry.

Prudential employees and their families are taking part in the company's Global Volunteer Day at the Houston Food Bank on Portwall. It's going on from 1pm until 4pm. The effort will help the Houston Food Bank distribute meals to people in the Houston who need them.

Last year, the Houston Food Bank distributed 50 million nutritious meals across our area.

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Volunteers build home for war veteran

TOMBALL, TX (KTRK) -- Volunteers are building a Marine a new home in Tomball. The young man paid a hard price for freedom, losing his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan.

The first walls to the home in Tomball went up Friday morning, and between now and Sunday, volunteers will frame, side, roof the house and install windows and doors. It's under construction for Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Peterson.

An explosion in Afghanistan left him a double amputee, and this house is a way for him to gain a new start, in a home which will suit all of his needs. Even after all he's sacrificed, he remains incredibly humble.

"I didn't sign up for what I could get out of it," Lance Corporal Peterson said. "Somebody could say, 'I deserve this, I deserve that'. No. You definitely don't join the Marines because you think you deserve something. This is more than I ever even dreamed of."

This house is provided through the non-profit organization Homes for Our Troops and contractor Spawglass. It takes donations and a lot of volunteers to build a home. If you'd like to help out, you can visit the Homes for Our Troops website.

The home should be ready to move into early this spring.

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Volunteers serve Christmas breakfast to homeless

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A group of Houston friends are demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas.

This year -- like every year for nearly 20 years -- they're feeding the homeless a hot Christmas Breakfast.

Volunteers started setting up breakfast as early as 5:30am under the Southwest Freeway near Franklin. They also set up for clothing donations.

"It feels good to give back," one volunteer told us.

Houstonian Mike Stiborik started the Christmas breakfast tradition. He doesn't belong to an organization. He just rounds up some friends every year to help the less fortunate.

"We get up early and we complain -- it's 4:30 -- but we get to go home and the house is warm and we have breakfast and we have presents under the tree, but this is their present and I think it makes us all feel a lot better than just sitting at home," another volunteer said.

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Volunteers needed for Christmas Eve feast

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If you plan to stay in Houston instead of traveling, you could help out the City Wide Club with its annual Christmas Eve Big Feasts of Sharing.

The club needs volunteers to help prepare and serve food at the George R. Brown Convention Center. They are also hoping for more toy donations. The club gives toys to needy children at the event but says it could run out tomorrow.

This will be the 33rd annual Big Feast. Thousands of families attended the organization's Thanksgiving feast a month ago.

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