Three decades on the front lines of hunger relief: a spotlight on Caritas of Austin

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Our Partner Agencies are so much more than food pantries and soup kitchens. They’re our boots on the ground and our eyes and ears in the community.

At the Capital Area Food Bank, we strive to provide the best possible support to the 300 agencies we work with across Central Texas. Sometimes that means rolling up our sleeves and lending a hand at mealtime. Agency Relations Representative Kara Prior shared her recent experience volunteering with a group of Food Bank staffers at Caritas of Austin.

“It is great to visit our Partner Agencies during our annual visits, but to see an agency’s mission at work was humbling,” Kara said.

A Food Bank partner since 1986, Caritas of Austin is both a meal site and a food pantry. Every weekday, they provide free lunches, no questions asked. Kara says the kitchen serves, on average, 350 individuals and families each day.

For their volunteer shift, Kara and nine other Food Bank staffers helped prepare and serve lunch. They chopped fresh vegetables for a salad, sliced bread and prepared dessert. They also helped with the main course: a venison, cheese and rice casserole.

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Kara and her fellow Food Bankers even had the privilege of working the line, serving each person who came in for lunch that day.

“The staff at Caritas of Austin do an amazing job serving our community,” Kara said. “The kitchen staff and volunteer coordinator run the lunch shift like a well-oiled machine.”

But it wasn’t just their efficiency that Kara found remarkable. She says she was most impressed with the kindness and respect they showed the people who come to them for help, greeting each client like family.

As Kara says, the staff and volunteers at Caritas of Austin “give so much of themselves to feed their neighbors and help end hunger in our community.” We’re lucky to have them on our team.