Volunteer Spotlight- Carly Gratton

February 2026- Carly delivers donations to Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center.

Five years ago, Carly Gratton and her family made the decision to move to Austin. Although Carly had seen her neighbors experience homelessness before, she found the prevalence of homelessness in her new city striking. “I used to be a teacher, so helping people is very important to me,” said Carly. “I immediately thought, ‘How can I help? What are the needs here in Austin?’”

Carly quickly identified combatting food insecurity as a way to support her community. She began making sandwiches for the ATX Free Fridge Project and prepared meals for Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center. While looking for additional volunteer opportunities, Carly discovered Keep Austin Fed. “I wanted to do more in the realm of food insecurity. I saw Keep Austin Fed and thought their mission made sense, so I signed up.”

November 2025- Carly serves a meal at Sunrise on Thanksgiving.

Since becoming a volunteer in 2024, Carly has completed more than 130 food rescues. For many of them, she is accompanied by her two young children. “What for sure got me to join was that I could bring my kids,” explained Carly. “For the convenience but also because I was looking for ways to make them aware and show them what we could do to help. I didn’t want to just drive by problems.”

Carly’s favorite food rescue is her adopted run from Chick-fil-A to Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center. She was initially drawn to the rescue because she had previously prepared meals for Sunrise and was familiar with the organization. Now, the rescue helps her maintain her connections. “I like Sunrise so much, and I like the people there so much,” said Carly. “It’s a guaranteed time every week where I get to see my friends.” Carly has also started volunteering in Sunrise’s kitchen every week after dropping off her donations. “We’ll use the Chick-fil-A or other donated food and serve it right there. It’s a full circle.”

In addition to her food rescues with Keep Austin Fed, Carly also helps train new volunteers. During the online orientation, she shares information about food insecurity, Keep Austin Fed, and food rescues. Carly says leading orientations gives her an opportunity to use her teaching skills while reaffirming her own volunteer experience. “It’s nice to be reminded how impactful our food rescues are… that people who otherwise might not have eaten will have a meal. It’s a nice, constant reminder, and it keeps me involved.”

Reflecting on her time with Keep Austin Fed, Carly encourages anyone interested in volunteering to simply give it a try and see the impact firsthand. “It’s really easy and really flexible. Don’t hesitate; it’s low stress and very rewarding.” She also views volunteering as an essential habit and hopes others will see the same benefits she has. “If you’re having a bad day, if you’re worried about something, you can volunteer and help somebody out, and it makes you feel a lot better. And I think that that can cause a chain reaction and, optimistically, make the world a better place.”