About Us

Through my work at Maroon Health Clinic and OpenGate Homeless Ministries, I saw firsthand how food insecurity directly impacts health outcomes. With a strong belief in lifestyle medicine and sustainable nutrition, I started Healthy Harvest to ensure families and children in our community have consistent access to healthy food. I’m passionate about community-based solutions, like shared fridges, that both improve health and reduce food waste—and I’m excited to see this mission grow with the incredible team we’ve built.

My passion for community health began while volunteering with free mobile clinics on Skid Row, where I loved connecting with patients and listening to their stories as they waited for care. That experience also showed me how challenging it can be to recommend certain lifestyle changes without addressing the resources people need to make them. Healthy Harvest takes a more holistic approach to community health, and I'm incredible proud to serve this community as Chief Operating Officer. 

I got involved with Healthy Harvest early on due to my experiences as a first-generation American whose immigrant family experienced food insecurity. The visible need for local hunger relief and sustainability while living and working in different parts of the country like Oakland, CA, Alabama, and Pennsylvania also left a strong impact on me. Now, as CFO, I love being able to combine my passion for food access with environmentally-focused waste reduction to serve families and communities in the Houston area.

My name is James Sampson, and I am serving as the Social Media Head for the fridge this year! I currently manage our external communications through Instagram, and we hope to expand to additional platforms soon. I joined the fridge to become more involved in the Houston community, and I felt that my background in various PR roles would help support and grow our outreach efforts. If you have any questions about our social media, please feel free to reach out to me at jamessampson@tamu.edu. 

Healthy Harvest has been an amazing opportunity to get involved with our local community, and work with our fellow peers to help solve food insecurity in our area! I serve as the Developments and Partnerships Lead, and I’m currently in charge of maintaining our relationships with our donors, community sponsors, and applying for grants to help keep our organization going. Please reach out if you have any questions or ideas that we can incorporate for future events!

Rebecca Franklin is a bioengineering graduate from Rice University and a member of the Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine Class of 2027, where she’s focused on improving health care through innovation. Originally from San Antonio, she’s passionate about community impact and wellness, aligning with initiatives like Healthy Harvest that address food insecurity by increasing access to nutritious food in the Houston area.

My passion for Healthy Harvest stems from personal experience—I have family members who have faced food insecurity, which inspired me to volunteer at food banks throughout high school and college. Those years taught me the joy of connecting with neighbors and the power of community support. Today, I carry that same spirit into my role as Director of Volunteer Services, where I coordinate volunteer efforts for the Fridge and help bring access to healthy food for our local community.