Free Summer Meals Return to Southeast Austin for 11th Year Through Central Health, Sendero Health Plans, and Central Texas Food Bank Partnership

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Health, Sendero Health Plans, and the Central Texas Food Bank have teamed up again to provide free summer meals to children and families, now in the 11th year of a partnership that has grown steadily alongside the community’s need.

The Summer Lunch Program serves all children and teens 18 and under at no cost through the federally funded Summer Food Service Program in partnership with the Central Texas Food Bank. Volunteers serve meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Southeast Health & Wellness Center, 2901 Montopolis Drive.

For many children, school meals are the most reliable food they receive each day. The Summer Food Service Program exists to close that gap during the months school is out, and demand in Austin has grown every year. Last year, the program served 6,846 meals, a 23% increase over the prior year. The Summer Lunch Program builds on Central Health’s broader effort to treat food access as a health care issue through its various “Food is Medicine” programs.

On Thursday, Central Health President and CEO Dr. Pat Lee and Sendero Health Plans CEO Sharon J. Alvis were on-site at the Southeast Health & Wellness Center, serving meals alongside volunteers and speaking with families about the resources available to them.

“Summer can create a real gap for families when school meals are no longer available,” said Dr. Pat Lee. “Our Summer Lunch Program helps close that gap in a way that feels welcoming and accessible, in a place that’s trusted—not only by providing healthy meals, but by connecting families to care, coverage, and other resources that support their health well beyond the lunch hour.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Southeast Health & Wellness Center hosts children’s activities and nutrition lessons alongside the meal program. The center also partners with AVANCE, an Austin-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting families with young children and pregnant women through early literacy and nutrition education, to bring storytelling sessions to children throughout the summer. Community resource booths also operate on-site daily, connecting families to health care enrollment, financial eligibility services, and other programs available through the Central Health system. Central Health and Sendero Health Plans also sponsor meals for adults accompanying children, ensuring whole families eat together and no one leaves hungry.

“Food is so critical to our culture—if a family gets together, there’s always going to be food. That’s part of the culture we’re trying to create within Central Health. We open our arms to our community members to come in and have a meal with us, and in that process, we learn so much,” said Sharon J. Alvis. “We learn that someone doesn’t have health coverage, maybe they could qualify for MAP (Medical Access Program). Maybe they haven’t seen a doctor in years. It becomes a touchpoint to bring them into the system and learn about all the services available to them. It’s about building trust.”

Program Details:

• Monday–Friday, June 1–Aug. 7 (closed July 3)
• 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
• Southeast Health & Wellness Center, 2901 Montopolis Drive, Austin, TX 78741