Covid 19 Directory ( updated 3/17/2021 )
Pls contact challengernewspaper@yahoo.com for changes to this directory.
First Call for Help : 211 or 512-973-9203
Some of this & other information can be found here: [Austin’s Homeless Strategy – COVID-19 Support]
Updates from folks directly impacted and/or engaged with those who are: [https://www.facebook.com/stopsweepsatx/]
If you feel or see a need for more food in an area of the city, please call The Other Ones Foundation at 512.568.7557 to connect to the Eating Apart Together (EAT) Initiative.
Hygiene
Open for bathroom and shower use Mon-Sat, 10a -3pm:
Bartholomew Pool
1800 E. 51st St East
Austin Recreation Center
301 Shoal Creek Blvd North Central
Barton Springs Pool
2131 William Barton Dr Central
Springwoods Pool
13320 Lyndhurst St. Northwest
The Other Ones showers: NW corner 7th St/IH35
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
- Downtown Austin Community Court / 719 E. 6th St / 8-5 Monday — Friday
- Public Restroom 4th & Trinity
- Public Restroom 6th & Brazo
- Need locations in West downtown…
Hand-washing & sanitizing stations
- 7th& Neches
- Oak Tree & Waller Creek (next to Waller Creek Pub House)
- 1100 Red River Parking Lot
- St. Johns & Cameron- behind EMS station
- Slaughter & Menchaca (behind strip mall by railroad tracks)
- Menchaca & Redd St. (2 Here)
- Ruiz Branch Library – 1600 Grove Blvd
Hand-washing & porta-potties
- Terrazas Library – 1105 E. Cesar Chavez
- Little Walnut Creek Library – 835 W. Rundberg Ln
- Ruiz Branch Library – 1600 Grove Blvd
Hand-washing & sanitizing stations at Violet Bag sites
- Highway 71/Packsaddle Pass
- Cesar Chavez/Pleasant Valley (near the IBC Bank)
- 183/Burnet Road
- 183/Cameron Road
- 7th Street and Gonzalez (under the bridge)
- Highway 71/Menchaca
- 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
- 183/Oak Knoll
Parks and Recreation Department’s restrooms along city trails will remain OPEN until further notice.
The Other Ones Foundation A mobile hygiene truck (with showers, sink and toilet, general harm reduction material, first aid and food) will visit different sites 10 AM to 4 PM or till supplies last:
Monday: Sunrise Community Church @ Ben White and Menchaca
Tuesday: First Baptist Surface Lot @ 9th and Trinity
Wednesday: IH 35 and Cesar Chavez (NE Side)
Thursday: Under IH 35 across from Hancock Center (Directly across the service road from Community Care)
Friday: University Presbyterian
7 days a week:: Camp Responsible Adult Transition Town (RATT), the State sanctioned campsite
Food
University Presbyterian Church Fri 2-5 Food distribution
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 FaithPresbyterian 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) will continue to offer sack lunches on Tuesdays at 11 AM (women only). Sack breakfasts will be available to all on Thursdays from 8-9:30 AM. No restroom access, other service suspended as long as shelter-in-place is in effect.
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 The Other One’s Foundation will provide showers on Tuesdays in the surface parking lot across the street (901 Trinity St). Coming soon: masks and food delivery to MLF, Sunrise Community Church, and The Other Ones Foundation.
Foundation Communities can provide assistance with Health Insurance Marketplace applications by PHONE. To determine eligibility, book an appointment online [https://booknow.appointment-plus.com/yr4hl26q/], leave a voicemail message at 512-381-4520, or email enroll@foundcom.org.
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.
[https://goodapplefoods.com/covid-19 / available in English & Spanish][Here is a local link apparently coordinated by the Hope food pantry, Good Apple and possibly UT in English & Spanish: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2fBMQtb1i5IBor3?_ga=2.165291391.1949043995.1584368314-1094412584.1571888873&fbclid=IwAR0L4EGrD4ECA0NMQ6HcW2wf2FKtQXbrMi0Kc80jeaFzaJchcLGV_aInjGU]
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]
The Other Ones Foundation A mobile hygiene truck (with showers) will visit different sites – see information in the Health and Hygiene section. TOOF is now basing operations out of the encampment off of Hwy 183. We are building a Community Services Complex at the camp to offer current TOOF programs, including shower and laundry facilities and the Workforce First program. TOOF will also function as service coordinator for all services at the camp. They can be reached at 512-568-7557.
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, Clothing
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: Males & Females check 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. Sunday dinner take away 3PM.
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.
Food for Seniors
Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) will distribute curbside for meals seniors at three locations, providing kits with 10 meals. This program is resuming Monday, 3/30. (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 Showers closed
Meals on Wheels and More [Main Office]
Weeks worth of meals delivered
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.
Storage/Lockers: Violet Storage
In Parking Garage of Health South,
at 606 E. 12th Street . 96 gal barrell with lock. Right now, the hours of operation are:
Monday through Friday, 7 AM – 10 AM and 3 PM – 7 PM. These hours are likely to expand as more staff is hired on.
To apply for a storage bin, show up at the facility.. If you have a Photo ID, that will help.
More locations coming!
Employment: Challenger Street Newspaper
Wednesdays & Sundays 1-3PM outside City Hall, Cesar Chavez/Guadalupe. Low barrier self employment. Make money today and every day you work. Distribute the paper with a donation basis, you keep all profits.
Challengernewspaper.org
Strappd App: Connecting People In Need to Services
First Austin has meals to-go available every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 11:30 to 1:00pm. and NOW we have gluten free meals available upon requests. Please send any people here (901 Trinity St.) who are experiencing food-insecurity.