Food Insecurity in Austin | Hungry Souls

What happens when schools, churches, businesses, and volunteers unite to fight food insecurity among children?

Food insecurity in Austin affects families who may struggle to provide consistent meals for their children, especially when school is out. No one knows there’s a need until someone raises their hand and says, “I need help.” That’s true of families experiencing food insecurity, and it’s just as true of the organizations that support them.

Hungry Souls is a faith-based nonprofit in Austin that partners with local schools to identify children and families facing food insecurity and provide meals during the times they’re most vulnerable: weekends and school breaks.

For less than $30 a week, a family receives groceries for a full weekend meal plan—plus a crockpot gifted at enrollment and a scripture tucked into every bag.

The goal: kids thriving in school and in life, breaking generational cycles of scarcity and poverty.

“Raising my two grandkids on a fixed income has been hard, but the weekly meals from Hungry Souls have been a lifesaver. We look forward to them every week, and I’m so grateful for this support.”

— Crockett HS Guardian

How Community Partnerships Help Fight Child Food Insecurity

What makes Hungry Souls so effective is its network of community partnerships. School liaisons on Title I campuses identify families most in need. Support from local grocers like HEB and Walmart provides bulk pricing—Walmart even covers Hungry Souls’ rent. And every week, volunteers show up to pack meals, deliver groceries, and offer encouragement, forming what Hungry Souls calls a “family of support.”

With just two staff members, student interns, and an army of volunteers, the organization serves 652 families each week. Their model is both strategic and deeply relational, and it continues to expand. Currently, they are establishing a church partnership program that invites congregants to help families by loading groceries into their cars at school pickup locations.

How Hungry Souls Is Meeting the Need for Weekend Food Assistance

From the beginning, Hungry Souls has operated on a conviction the founder instilled: God controls the gas pedal.

That unhurried faithfulness has shaped everything—giving them time to build systems, deepen volunteer relationships, and grow without outpacing their capacity. When nearly 200 new families joined in a single year, the infrastructure was already in place to support the growth.

Hungry Souls has also found strength in Good Works Community. Through Good Works Community's training, they gained clarity around board engagement and fundraising, resulting in a huge uptick in giving.