The Austin Blessings Co-op
It started with a vision for how to meet the needs of our community.
Back in 2005, Pastor Dave Haney and a handful of leaders at Riverbend had a crazy idea for starting a new kind of outreach ministry. Rather than focusing on a specific area of need — homelessness, rehabilitation, malnutrition, etc. — we would establish local community centers that could focus on a specific area in need. Through our Neighborhood Development Centers (NDCs) in East Austin and South Austin, we’re able to provide for the emotional, practical and spiritual needs of whole neighborhoods through food pantries, community events, educational opportunities, Bible study/prayer groups, and much more.
The Co-op was established in 2021
With the success of the NDCs in South and East Austin, the Riverbend team decided to for the Austin Blessings Co-op in 2021. The Co-op is a collaboration of people, churches, and organizations on a mission to meet our city’s practical, emotional, and spiritual needs, one person at a time. Through the Co-op, we’re able to bring all of the services provided by the NDCs together under one umbrella. Doing so allows us to greatly increase our capacity to bring on new volunteers, explore new partnerships that help meet the needs of our vulnerable neighbors in Austin, and allow for scalable growth into new areas in Austin, Mexico, and around the world.
The Austin Blessings Co-op is operated by Riverbend Church. Riverbend is deeply committed to meeting our city’s practical, emotional, and spiritual needs. The Co-op primarily operates out of Riverbend’s NDCs in South Austin & East Austin.
Learn more about our South & East Austin Co-op locations and sign up to serve
Austin Reconciliation Church — East Austin
Through our East Austin NDC, we’re helping to provide invaluable services to predominantly immigrant neighborhoods.
At Austin Reconciliation Church we offer community programs such as ESL, computer training, citizenship and immigration education, and cake decorating. As people attend these programs, we have the opportunity to form relationships with them, loving and serving them unconditionally just as God has called us.
In the last year, Riverbenders like you:
Launched an ESL class that saw 210 graduates
Served Thanksgiving dinner to 280 men, women, and children
Hosted a Family Fun Day for over 100 participants
Are you ready to start serving our neighbors at Austin Reconciliation Church?
Here are some of our serving opportunities:
Volunteer with our ESL Classes
Volunteer with our Computer Classes
Volunteer with our American Citizenship classes
Child-care help during classes
Data entry
Spanish translations
Travis Heights Christian Outreach — South Austin
Through our South Austin NDC, we’re helping to provide for physical and spiritual needs of the homeless and impoverished.
We use this 3,300 square-foot building to provide food, clothing, showers, haircuts, and a multitude of other services to the surrounding community in need. Every day, homeless and impoverished folks make their way to this center. Through this NDC and its partnerships, hundreds of lives are being transformed.
In the last year, Riverbenders like you:
Fed 96,835 individuals, up 93% since 2017
Distributed 622,602 pounds of donated items
Started a mentorship program between Riverbend Men and The Bridge (halfway house) program
Are you ready to start serving our neighbors at THCO?
Here are some of our serving opportunities:
Serve at the Harvest Blessings Food Pantry any day during the week
Donate gently-used clothing, shoes and household items
Serve at a Travis Heights Christian Outreach special event (Christmas Toy Store, Back to School event, etc.)
Take a tour of the Harvest Blessings Food Pantry