Local restaurant to provide meals to homeless on Christmas

Published 7:00 pm Thursday, December 11, 2025

Texas Seafood will be continuing its tradition of handing out food to homeless people on Christmas Day. The tradition started in 2017 following Hurricane Harvey, as Binh, the owner, just wanted to help people out.

Around 300 people showed up for food, and Texas Seafood loved putting on the event so much that it decided to keep the tradition alive. From 11-2 on Christmas Day Texas Seafood hosts the event, giving food to those in need. Now, Texas Seafood expects a turnout of around 500.

Manager Kayla Walden has been with Texas Seafood since the tradition began, and has seen it grow.

“I’ve been doing it every year with (Binh) since he started to do it after Harvey, when everybody was down on their luck,” Walden said. “With everything going on, (people) losing homes and everything. There were a lot more people on the streets after that. He wanted to give back and do something for those who have nothing on Christmas day.”

Now, Walden works to help organize the event, coordinating volunteers. Walden said that she is often overwhelmed with the amount of people who want to volunteer, and she has to create a waitlist.

Typically, she has around 20 spots for volunteers, several calling early to put themselves and their families on the list to help out. Several have already called, almost filling up the list.

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“It’s great to see, especially the ones who continue to help us, and the amount of calls that we get of people who want to help volunteer,” Walden said. “We get so many people who (call), after we reach our limit of volunteers that we can take in, because we only have so much for so many people to do. It’s good to see that everybody comes together and helps do this.”

Over the past few years, the event has expanded, bringing in Santa who gives out gifts to those who come for food, at no cost.

A team effort, Binh handles everything behind the kitchen, making and preparing all of the food. When he passes the food to the window, volunteers bag up the food based on how many plates a family needs.

Eight years after the event began, it still serves the same purpose, helping people in need on a holiday and giving back to the community.

“It’s good to see everybody come together to make this happen,” Walden said. We have some volunteers who have been with us since the first year that we started doing it.”

No sign up is required for food, those in need just have to show up to Texas Seafood between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Christmas Day.

Lindsey Plotkin is a multimedia reporter for the Victoria Advocate. Contact her at lindsey.plotkin@vicad.com.