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The federal government shut down on October 1 and reopened on November 12. Full Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits resumed November 14, providing vital support to thousands of Central Texans who rely on SNAP to feed themselves and their families. Even with benefits restored, many neighbors will continue to feel the ripple effects of the gap in SNAP services. United Way for Greater Austin stands ready to connect families to immediate food relief or help them apply for SNAP to ensure long-term stability. This is a developing list of information, resources, and ways you can support families affected. Please check back for ongoing updates. What We Know Now SNAP benefits resumed in full November 14. SNAP participants who receive benefits on or after the 14th of the month will receive their full benefits on their normal issuance date. SNAP participants who already received partial benefits will receive the rest of their monthly amount on or after November 14. Many Central Texans were struggling to put food on the table before the federal shutdown. Last year, our Navigation Center received more than 30,000 requests for food – our community’s top need. Resources 211 and ConnectCTX Call 2-1-1 (option 1), our 24/7 helpline, for information on food distributions, utilities, financial support, health care, transportation, child care, support applying for SNAP and more. Our trained Navigation Specialists are ready to connect you to resources you need. Our ConnectCTX referral database closes the loop and connects our neighbors to long-term support tools. Call […]

Stephanie Myers never thought she’d be feeding 300 families a week. Her bakery closed in 2020, and she and her business partner found themselves with hundreds of pounds of flour and no idea what to do with it. So, they baked loaves of bread and made tortillas for anyone who needed them, offering three loaves for 75 cents. “Then, people started bringing me canned goods – I didn’t advertise it. People just dropped them off on my front porch,” she said. She posted a photo on Facebook of the canned sweet corn, tomato soup, and other goods and let people know they were up for grabs. After that post, 20 people showed up at her home in Bartlett, a rural town of about 1,600 residents on the border of Bell and Williamson counties. Food kept showing up. Within a month, 100 people had come in response to her posts. From Bakery to 501(c)3 Five years later, Stephanie has grown her food program into a nonprofit called Neighbors Serving Neighbors. More than 1,000 Central Texans from rural areas walk, drive, bike, and even ride their lawnmowers to her house every month to pick up canned goods, bread, fresh produce, and more. As Neighbors Serving Neighbors has grown, local organizations, churches, and even Panera Bread have reached out to provide large food distributions on a regular basis. Feeding Families, the United Way United Way for Greater Austin powers one of those organizations. Every Monday, The Common Market delivers dozens of boxes of […]

We continue to recover and rebuild following the devastating July 4 Central Texas floods. The damage is extensive, and recovery will continue for months to come. We also continue to mourn with those who lost loved ones. We are grateful to the first responders, local officials, and volunteers who are engaged in long-term recovery efforts.  We are equally grateful for the many calls we have received asking for ways to support our greater Central Texas region. With your support, we have raised and deployed nearly $200,000 to the following agencies. We encourage you to stay in touch and follow these agencies for updates. Monetary Donations Ark of the Highland Lakes – Burnet County Flood Relief Fund Austin Area Disaster Network – Central Texas Flooding Fund Central Texas Community Foundation – Travis County Care Flood Relief Fun Central Texas Community Foundation – Wilco Cares Flood Relief Fund Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country – Kerr County Flood Relief Fund Texas Search and Rescue – 4th of July Texas Floods United Way Concho Valley – San Angelo Area Foundation’s Disaster Relief Fund. Checks can be mailed to San Angelo Area Foundation, 221 S. Irving Street, San Angelo, TX 76903 United Way San Antonio and Bexar County – United for Kerr County Fund Physical Donations Operation Liberty Hill – See website for list of needs We Are Blood – Donate blood  The following agencies require volunteers. Please do not self-deploy; unauthorized volunteers can create congestion and interfere with professional search, rescue, and recovery […]