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 fresh produce to Stephanie’s pantry. The produce varies depending on what’s in season, but the need for fresh fruits and vegetables remains the same.
“I have one lady who is almost in tears every week because she’s so excited over her produce box,” Stephanie said. “Today, she got watermelon and peaches. She was ecstatic to have two different fruits.”
The reaction is all too common. One in six local families worry about their ability to access basic resources like food. United Way harnesses local data and trusted partnerships to respond where the need is greatest, working with the partners best fit to serve families.
A Network of Neighbors
Neighbors Serving Neighbors is just one of those food partners. With United Way’s support, The Common Market distributes 8,400 lbs of fresh produce across our region weekly. That’s 420 families who may not otherwise have access to affordable, nutritious food.
Stephanie recognizes how United Way’s investment makes this possible.
“This area is forgotten,” Stephanie said. “United Way has been one of the organizations that has believed in what is happening out here and has been willing to listen. That serves more families in the long run.”
In addition to working with partners, our 2-1-1 helpline, available 24/7, connects individuals to food among many other resources, including health care, utilities support, housing, and more. Last year, we received 31,579 requests for food alone – more than any other resource.
Building the Path to Food Security
United Way goes beyond serving families’ immediate needs. Last year, we completed Williamson County’s first food needs assessment with the Central Texas Food Bank. Then, we developed a five-year strategic plan to increase food access in all our communities.
Serving more than 1,000 families a month from the small towns of Holland, Bartlett, Granger, and beyond, Stephanie has learned one thing: There is a massive need for food in our community.
“It’s overwhelming,” Stephanie said. “But then I think about the families in need, and I keep going.”
Supporting trusted, local partners, United Way is helping to build a future where nutritious food is within reach and every table is full.
Love this story ❤️