Food Delivered To Austin Residents Quarantined For Coronavirus

AUSTIN, TX — CommunityCare Health Centers is spearheading an initiative centered on delivering food to people under quarantine due to the coronavirus, officials detailed on Monday.

Central Health-affiliated CommUnityCare Health Centers, along with Capital Metro and Austin Public Health sparked the effort in tandem, delivering 39 food boxes for 14 CommUnityCare patients who are food insecure on Friday alone. Since the program began in March, the program has served 122 families and delivered 545 boxes of food, 13 fans and four water boiler and warmer kits for families with babies.

Each food box contains between 20 to 30 pounds of food, including pasta, tuna and beans as well as fresh produce, eggs, and milk. In addition to food, Capital Metro drivers deliver necessities such as diapers, medication and fans, officials added.

Central Health workers load up boxes filled with food destined for homes where patients are under quarantine due to the coronavirus. Photo provided by Central Health.

“Many residents in Travis County, including thousands of children, were already food insecure before the pandemic," CommUnityCare Chief Operating Officer Yvonne Camarena said in a prepared statement. "The problem is magnified for patients quarantining due to COVID-19. Either they’ve tested positive, they’ve been exposed to the virus, or they’re at high-risk and need to stay home."

The program is a collaboration of resources and expertise, officials noted. Nurses operating CommUnityCare’s COVID-19 hotline at (512) 978-8775 refer patients to CommUnityCare’s community health workers, who then assess each patient’s needs. For its part, Austin Public Health supplies the food boxes while Capital Metro drivers deliver the packages directly to patients’ homes.

“We are also very thankful for El Buen Samaritano and Seven Day Adventist Church for supplying us with fresh produce and nonperishable goods to give to families,” Camarena added.