SA Hope Center

Who Can Visit?

SA Hope Center's Mercadito food pantry is open to individuals and families who are enrolled in the center's mentoring program. To access food, you'll need to become an active program participant and be matched with a mentor first. Walk-ins are not accepted - you must call ahead to schedule an appointment before coming in.

How to Register?

Call SA Hope Center to set up your first intake appointment. The main campus at 321 N General McMullen Dr accepts appointments Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Bring a valid ID when you come in. If you need to cancel, please call at least 24 hours in advance.

Items Needed for Registration

Bring a form of identification to your appointment.

How Often Can You Visit?

Based on one visitor's account, visits to the food pantry may be limited to once per year.

Good to Know

The amount of food you receive depends on your family's size and specific needs. Let your mentor know about any food allergies or dietary restrictions when scheduling your visit so they can help you choose the right items. The Mercadito follows the USDA "My Plate" food model and is kept to high cleanliness and organizational standards.

Food & Essentials

The Mercadito is stocked through a partnership with the San Antonio Food Bank and carries fresh produce, meat, and dairy products alongside other grocery staples. The pantry distributes about 280,000 pounds of food each year. Visitors have mentioned receiving a variety of items including fruits, vegetables, canned goods, bread, and chicken.

How to Pick Up

The Mercadito works like a grocery store. The head of the household walks through and picks out the items that best fit their family's size and nutritional needs. Shopping is free. Once you've set up a visit with your mentor, you'll browse and select from what's available on the shelves.

Additional Support

SA Hope Center's mentors are certified Texas Navigators who can help you apply for SNAP, WIC, health care, TANF cash assistance, and other Texas benefits. Walk-in Texas Benefits Assistance is available every Tuesday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

The center also provides mental health counseling for children, adults, and families through licensed clinicians and play therapists, along with spiritual care from an on-site pastor. Other programs include financial literacy classes, career readiness workshops and on-site job fairs, adult education support through a partnership with Restore Education, and parenting classes including Positive Parenting, Parent University, and Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.

Diaper assistance is available to parenting program participants through a partnership with the Texas Diaper Bank. Emergency infant and adult diaper assistance is also available upon request. Additional services include ID recovery and childcare financial assistance.

Facilities

The Boutique is an on-site clothing closet where program participants can browse and pick out clothing items for free after their scheduled appointment.

Ways to Give

Donate online at the SA Hope Center donation page. You can also donate gently used or new clothing and host drives for food, hygiene products, school supplies, and holiday gifts. To arrange a goods donation, contact Beatrice Casas at (210) 640-2878. To sponsor a family, visit the Sponsor a Family page. For tour requests or general questions, reach out at info@sahopecenter.org or call (210) 732-3776.

How to Join the Team?

Apply online at sahopecenter.galaxydigital.com, then download the Causer app using the same email address. Volunteer shifts run from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM or 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Opportunities include stocking and organizing the Mercadito food pantry, facilitating classes like financial literacy and career readiness, helping in the Boutique clothing closet, tending the Nurturing Garden, or supporting fundraising events. For questions, contact Elisa at (210) 640-2879 or volunteer@sahopecenter.org. Note that court-ordered community service hours aren't currently offered.