Meeting Basic Needs during COVID-19

With businesses closing down and people staying distant or home, it is harder than ever to meet your needs in Austin. The City and nonprofit partners are working together to help everyone get food and hygiene resources to stay well and safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Information about Cold Weather Shelters in 2021 is always available at 512-305-ICEE(4233).

Basic Needs Sites

These sites are set up near known encampments and areas visited by neighbors without homes. They have handwashing stations and Port-a-Cans that can be used any time of day.  Some sites also have mobile showers and Violet Bag kiosks; schedule and locations below.

Hygiene 

Showers: 

  • Monday - Friday – Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center / 8:30AM-11:00AM
  • Monday - Friday –  7th & I-35 / 9:30 AM-1:30 PM 
  • Monday - Friday –  Burnet and Hwy 183 / 9:30 AM-1:30 PM 

The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) leads operations for the mobile hygiene program (with showers, sink and toilet, general harm reduction material, first aid and food) in partnership with the City of Austin. TOOF also operates showers at the State-sanctioned encampment on Hwy 183 open daily, 7AM–7PM. 

Bathrooms only available:

  • Terrazas Branch Library / 1105 E. Cesar Chavez / 9-5 Monday – Sunday
  • Little Walnut Creek Branch Library / 835 W. Rundberg Ln / 9-5 Monday – Sunday
  • Public Restroom 4th & Trinity
  • Public Restroom 6th & Brazos
  • Public Restroom 6th & I-35

Hand-washing & porta-potties

  • 7th & I-35
  • 1100 Red River Parking Lot
  • Little Walnut Creek Library – 835 W. Rundberg Ln
  • Ruiz Branch Library – 1600 Grove Blvd
  • Mabel Davis District Park (near pool) - 3427 Parker Ln
  • Hwy 183 at McNeil
  • LifeWorks – 835 N Pleasant Valley
  • Holly Shores Park - Canterbury & Pleasant Valley
  • Menchaca & Redd St. (2 Here)
  • Slaughter & Menchaca (behind strip mall by railroad tracks)
  • Westgate & Ben White
  • S. Lamar & Ben White 

Hand-washing & sanitizing stations at Violet Bag sites 

  • Highway 71/Packsaddle Pass (temporarily out of Service)
  • Cesar Chavez/Pleasant Valley (near the IBC Bank)
  • 183/Burnet Road
  • 183/Cameron Road
  • 7th Street and Gonzalez (under the bridge)
  • Terrazas Library – 1105 E. Cesar Chavez
  • Highway 71/Burleson Road
  • Pleasant Valley/Riverside Drive (located in the median near the McDonald’s)
  • I-35/Airport
  • Hwy183 at Oak Knoll 

Parks and Recreation Department’s restrooms along city trails will remain OPEN until further notice.


Food 

Angel House / Austin Baptist Chapel is providing sack breakfast from 9:30-10 AM and sack lunches 11 AM-12:30 PM. No inside dining room, no restroom, no shower, and no clothing ministry access (except on an extremely limited basis) at this time.

Austin Public Health-WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) is issuing benefits through the mail. This is being coordinated over the phone and APH is working to increase staffing. So far, WIC recipients are unable to avail of online purchasing and curbside pick-up.

The Neighborhood Centers now have a fully-staffed emergency food helpline at 512-972-5133 and are working with Central Texas Food Bank to provide shelf-stable food. They will also be providing emergency rent and utilities assistance at 512-972-5780 starting 4/6 (press release here); must be under 200% of the FPL and owe for March or April; folks who anticipate being late for, or unable to make, May rent/utilities are being told to call back closer to May.

Bread For All partnered with the Central Texas Food Bank and Faith Presbyterian Church at 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704 adjusted hours are currently 4pm - 7pm (or until we hit 100 units served - our upper limit). We also sponsor a mobile distribution with the food bank at Parker Lane United Methodist (2105 Parker Lane) the second Tuesday of the month from 9am-10am. All are welcome.https://austincitylutherans.org/food/

Caritas of Austin: Community Kitchen is serving SACK LUNCHES Monday-Friday 11 AM-12:30 PM. Clients will continue to have access to food from our pantry. Serving clients who are on caseload remotely with case management/housing stability services; and in-person with groceries through our food pantry practicing social distancing. The lobby is OPEN M/T/W/Th- 8am-4:45pm and Fri- 8am-11:45am to the public, 1 person at a time to access water, bathrooms, and phones.

Central Presbyterian (200 E. 8th, corner of 8th and Brazos) Sack breakfasts will be available to all on Thursdays from 8-11:00 AM. Restroom access, but other service suspended as long as shelter-in-place is in effect.

Central Texas Food Bank continues to provide food through their partners across the region. Up-to-date listings can be found by calling 2-1-1 or visiting connectatx.org. 

El Buen Samaritano food pantry will be OPEN Tuesdays-Thursdays from 9-11AM. Food will be provided on a first come, first served basis. Our bilingual staff is available to assist you in both English and Spanish. At this time, we do not require documentation of any kind. If you are an organization seeking food pantry services for your clients, please contact our CEO, Rosamaria Murillo, at rmurillo@elbuen.org

First Baptist Austin is CLOSED but is serving meals on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week from 11:30-1:00. Included: Revolution Foods sandwich, a fruit, and a vegetable. A fast pack with a variety of shelf stable snacks and water. Hot casserole to-go.

Foundation for the Homeless / Feed My People breakfast will be distributing breakfast tacos in paper bags for those seeking a Tuesday/Thursday breakfast. Distribution will be outside on the corner of 13th & Lavaca starting around 6AM. Clients will have limited access to the church building, 2 of “each” gender to use the bathroom. No showers will be offered.

Gateway Church - Feed the Community Food Pantry ,7104 McNeil Dr., Austin, TX 78729 - Wednesdays 10am to 12pm

Green Doors’ services are still OPEN to eligible veterans (transitional housing) and affordable housing residents (affordable rental or PSH with vouchers) until capacity is full. They may require a brief hotel stay for folks seeking to join the transitional housing program (and Green Doors would cover the cost); affordable rentals are immediate admission because they are single occupancy. If you have eligible clients, contact info@greendoors.org or 512-469-9130 for information or applications.

Good Apple is providing FREE food assistance to folks 55+ and/or immuno-compromised, and it appears people can sign up on behalf of others who meet those criteria. It appears to be for groceries. Turnaround time varies but as of right now appears to be within 48 hours; may be one-time rather than on-going; one person reported getting 3 veggie farm-share bags and 3 bags of non-perishables.

Link to general informationLink to local information

Mobile Loaves & Fishes will continue as long as there are volunteers to serve on the food trucks. With reduced volunteers, we are currently operating under limited schedules. For locations and schedules, visit http://www.mlf.org/truck-schedules. Below our MLF trucks map is a new map and list of organizations that are also serving meals around the city, which is being updated daily from information we receive from this Google Doc. We’ve teamed up with Sunrise to help get additional meals to them five days a week, and we’ve also teamed up with The Other One’s Foundation to deliver 100 meals to them Monday-Friday at their mobile hygiene locations.

All City Of Austin Neighborhood Center food pantry services are closed to walk-ins but there is a fully-staffed emergency food helpline at 512-972-5133. Working with Central Texas Food Bank to provide shelf-stable food. Check here for updates: [http://www.austintexas.gov/department/neighborhood-centers]

Sunrise Community Church Homeless Navigation Center will remain OPEN (weekdays 9-1) but serving outside at a 6-foot distance. Food, coffee, mail, SPID’s.

Food pantries at Travis County Community Centers (HHS) remain OPEN, but people need to call and schedule an appointment (no in-person applications) before going to pick up food. Palm Square (Downtown Austin), Pflugerville, Post Road (South Austin), and Del Valle are scheduling 2 days out; the other three locations are still able to accommodate folks same-day. Also providing rent and utility assistance.  [https://www.traviscountytx.gov/health-human-services/community-centers]

Trinity Center is providing folks the opportunity to check their mail between 11 AM - 2 PM Monday-Friday. Takeaway breakfast service is at 9:30 AM (Monday-Friday) until all meals (80-100) are served.

University Presbyterian Church's Micah 6 Food Pantry has boxes of shelf-stable food available for pick up in the North courtyard Thursdays at 6:00 pm and Saturdays at 10:30 am.

University United Methodist Church serves brunch every Saturday from 9 to 10:30 am.

Victory Ministries Hot meals provided at the church (2300 Canterbury St) but supplies are VERY LOW. People being served outside only. If able, PLEASE CALL 512-480-9628 to check status before coming.

Westover Hills Church of Christ- They are providing food (non-perishable groceries) for everyone on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 pm to 3 pm. Drive-thru style. They are located at 8332 Mesa Dr., Austin, TX 78759.

More food sources listed through 2-1-1 and at connectatx.org

Food for Seniors

Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) will distribute curbside for meals seniors at three locations, providing kits with 10 meals. (Meal distribution is for pre-registered patrons; Unregistered individuals interested in registering can come to one of the locations below during the scheduled time on a first come, first served basis, pending available food)

Metz Recreation Center
2407 Canterbury Street, Austin, TX 78702
9:30AM-11:30AM

Gus Garcia Recreation Center
1201 East Rundberg Lane, Austin, TX 78753
9:30AM-11:30AM

Meals on Wheels and More [Main Office]
3227 E. 5th Street, Austin, TX 78702
9:00AM-2:00PM

School Meals

Many schools are providing meals for students during closures. Learn more about school meal services and find the school nearest you


If you are experiencing a need that isn't met through the services on this map, please visit the list of resources available here.

__________________________________________________________________________

If you are not experiencing homelessness but want to learn about the homelessness response, please visit the Service Provider page.

You can also learn more about the City’s overall response to COVID-19 and access community-centered information and resources.