Weekly meals for students and shift workers in Austin

Since 2021, our volunteer team has run Community Pantry every Tuesday from the back of the old library basement. We started with 29 families, and now we feed 148 each week. Donations have dropped by about 57% this school holidays, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 13 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Austin market and keep every receipt. Each $40 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $2,150 goes: • Refrigeration and electricity: $400 • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $850 • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $900 You're what makes this possible, and I'll never forget it.