Recipient Partner Spotlight- Lyons Gardens

8/6/25- Juan D. Perez, Service Coordinator at Lyons Gardens, stands at the entrance of the housing complex.

For over 20 years, Keep Austin Fed has had the privilege of supporting diverse communities across the city through the work of our wonderful partners. The unique missions of our community partners and the various populations they serve help Keep Austin Fed tailor donations to meet the specific needs of each recipient group. Some groups are best served with fresh produce and pantry staples while others, like the residents of Lyons Gardens, benefit most from individually wrapped, pre-packaged meals.

Lyons Gardens, located in east Austin, is an affordable housing complex run by Family Eldercare that serves older adults and adults with disabilities. Keep Austin Fed first began its partnership with Lyons Gardens in the summer of  2021. Today, Keep Austin Fed delivers an average of 100-120 meals  every Friday. Once delivered, residents collect meals from the lobby and store them in their refrigerators for the coming week. If a resident forgets to collect their meal or there are leftovers, residents load the meals into a cart and walk around the complex, knocking on their neighbors’ doors to ensure everyone has enough.

August 2025- Mr. Escobar, who is partially blind, poses with a collage of his favorite CookUnity meals created to help Lyons Gardens staff members select his favorites.

Many of the residents of Lyons Gardens no longer work and rely on fixed incomes. After the cost of housing and healthcare, there is often little left over to purchase food. Older adults experiencing health challenges or mobility issues can also find it difficult to travel to the grocery store or prepare meals in their kitchens.

Keep Austin Fed’s weekly donation is perfectly tailored to meet the needs of Lyons Gardens’ residents. The meals are cooked and assembled by CookUnity, a meal delivery service specializing in fresh and seasonal menus crafted by a team of chefs. The residents receive the meals already prepared and portioned, cutting down on the work needed to enjoy them. “It’s a big help because it’s ready to eat,” said a Lyons Gardens resident. “All you have to do is heat it up and eat it.”

CookUnity emphasizes variety and seasonal dishes, so residents receive an assortment of different meals each week. “I’m trying things I never would have eaten before,” said a Lyons Gardens resident. “It’s good.” The prepared meals are also healthy, providing residents with essential nutrition. “The portion sizes are big, and [the meals] have good flavor,” added another resident. “It’s also healthy.”

Even for residents easily able to travel to the grocery store or with more room in their budgets, weekly food donations provide security. “Those meals are also helping them financially,” said Juan D. Perez, Service Coordinator at Lyons Gardens. “They can save money and use [their savings] for other things.” With Keep Austin Fed, residents have peace of mind that they will always have access to a variety of nutritious, ready-to-eat meals. “All of us go through harder times and easier times,” said a Lyons Gardens resident. “My car is in the shop for the third time in two months, and I have no way to get to the grocery store. So it’s nice to not have to worry about food.”