• Sample activities: sorting donations including housewares, toys and clothing; cleaning/testing electronics; watering and weeding garden beds
• Donations accepted: monetary donations; accepts clothing, toys, housewares, books, movies, music, personal care items and electronics; does not accept mattresses or box springs, large executive desks, pianos or organs, tube-style televisions, full sets of encyclopedias, household chemicals or open gallons of paint

• Sample activities: offering free educational classes, craft materials and bingo giveaways
• Donations accepted: shelf-stable foods for the holidays

From a national book retailer to an aquaponics farming shop to a health drink store, several businesses and organizations have updates to share in the New Caney and Porter areas. This list is not comprehensive, and details are subject to change.

Coming soon
Galilee Greens—an aquaponics store—is expected to open soon in Porter. The store will begin selling organic vegetables soon.

• Tentatively opening in December
• 22985 FM 1314, Building 7, Unit 3, Porter

• Opening date TBD
• Intersection of Valley Ranch Parkway and Park Lake View Drive, New Caney (exact address TBD)

Several places are kicking off the holiday season with holiday light displays this weekend. 

Sugar Land Holiday Lights
Attendees can enjoy millions of dazzling light displays, a new 9-hole mini golf course, a carnival, a synthetic ice rink and vendors. Santa Claus will also be visiting the lights in Sugar Land through Dec. 23.

• Through Jan. 1
• $18.24 (admission)
• 1 Stadium Drive, Sugar Land

• Through Dec. 31, noon- 10 p.m.
• $24.47- $47.10 (admission)
• Marriott Marquis Houston, 1777 Walker St., Houston

• Through Jan. 4
• Free
• 2101 Riva Row, The Woodlands

Traders Joe's officials are planning to open a new location in Kingwood on Dec. 5, a manager of Trader Joe's in The Woodlands confirmed Dec. 1. Also confirmed by the Trader Joe’s Media Department, the new location will hold a ribbon cutting minutes before the doors open at 8 a.m.

Some context: Per previous Community Impact reporting, the new 17,180-square-foot grocery store is located in the Kingwood Commons shopping center. Trader Joe's has six additional locations across the Greater Houston area with an additional location planned for 9715 Towne Lake Parkway in Cypress. 

Zooming in: Officials with Trader Joe's Media Department said the new location will be the first location in Kingwood and has already hired over 25 employees. In addition, the new location will donate 100% of products that go unsold but remain fit to enjoy to a range of nonprofit, community-based organizations, seven days a week.

• Opening Dec. 5
• 600 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood