Caritas of Austin North

Who Can Visit?

Caritas of Austin North's pantry is only available to people who are already enrolled in one of Caritas of Austin's housing or refugee resettlement programs. Services at the North location are by appointment only. If you're not yet a client, the first step is completing a Coordinated Entry survey, which helps connect the most vulnerable people to housing services in the Austin area.

How to Register?

To access services, you'll need to complete a Coordinated Entry assessment through one of the following agencies:

• Sunrise Navigation Center at 4430 Menchaca Road, phone 512-522-1097, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) at 505 Barton Springs Road (first floor), phone 512-974-4879, Wednesdays from 12 to 4 p.m.

Completing Coordinated Entry is not a guarantee of services, but it's the critical first step. You'll be contacted directly when a program has an opening for you.

How Often You Can Visit?

Current Caritas of Austin clients who are enrolled in housing or refugee resettlement programs can visit the pantry up to 10 times while they're receiving services.

Good to Know

Caritas of Austin North serves appointments only, unlike the downtown headquarters. The pantry is not open to the general public. Caritas of Austin does not provide rental assistance, utility assistance, or bus passes outside of case management services. If you need help with those, you can contact 2-1-1 to learn about other community resources.

Caritas of Austin doesn't accept clothing donations, but they encourage donating to St. Vincent de Paul Store, which generously provides clothing vouchers to Caritas of Austin clients.

Additional Support

Caritas of Austin offers a range of services beyond food assistance for enrolled clients, including housing support, employment services, and education programs. They also offer a Veterans program for those who qualify.

To be eligible for the Veterans program (Supportive Services for Veteran Families), you must:

• Live in Travis, Williamson, or Bastrop County
• Have a household income less than 30% of the Area Median Income
• Be a member of a veteran family
• Have a discharge status other than dishonorable

If you meet those criteria, completing Coordinated Entry is the first step to accessing veterans' services.

Ways to Give

There are several ways to support Caritas of Austin North and the people they serve:

• Make a monetary donation at caritasofaustin.org/donate-give. For questions, contact Israel Pena at ipena@caritasofaustin.org or 512-735-2042 ext. 1024.
• Host a food drive to help stock the pantry. Contact donations@caritasofaustin.org to get started. Most needed items include canned meats, peanut butter, pasta, canned soup, dry beans, and rice.
• Donate Care Kits including snack packs and hygiene packs for walk-in clients. Items can be new and packaged in individual bags. Email donations@caritasofaustin.org for more info.
• Donate wish list items including household goods, kitchen items, gift cards, and more. Items can be shipped to 611 Neches Street, Austin, TX 78701, or dropped off there by appointment. Contact donations@caritasofaustin.org to schedule a drop-off.
• Host a community event that benefits Caritas of Austin by visiting caritasofaustin.org.

How to Join the Team?

Caritas of Austin welcomes volunteers and interns who want to help end homelessness in Austin.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Community Kitchen (downtown location): Help prepare and serve lunch Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old.
• Direct Service Volunteering: Work one-on-one with clients for 6 to 8 hours per week for at least four months. Requires 7 to 18 hours of training. Must be at least 18 years old.
• Administrative Support: Help with filing, data entry, and office tasks Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Must be at least 18 years old.
• At-Home Care Kits: Assemble hygiene, snack, or seasonal care kits from home.
• Donation Deliveries and Pick-ups: Help deliver or collect in-kind donations using your own vehicle.

To sign up, visit the volunteer page at caritasofaustin.org or contact Volunteer Coordinator Anissa Reyes at volunteer@caritasofaustin.org.

Internship opportunities are available for undergraduate and graduate students as well as non-academic interns. Interns need to be available at least 18 hours per week and complete a background check and training. Contact volunteer@caritasofaustin.org for more information.