Sendero Health Plans and community partners bring Thanksgiving holiday cheer to Austin-area residents

PR Newswire

More than 1,000 Turkeys and 5,000 side dishes distributed at three events to the elderly, disabled and low-income

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Volunteers braved the recent cold weather to help brighten the Thanksgiving holiday for Austin-area residents in need. Several groups joined together to distribute large turkeys and baskets full of ready-to-make side dishes to area elderly, disabled and low-income residents.

The African American Youth Harvest Foundation, Mission Accomplished, Sendero Health Plans, the Neighborhood Services Unit of Austin Public Health (APH), and the Watershed Protection Department of the City of Austin hosted the distribution at the Austin Achieve Public Schools Sunday.

"We provided more than 300 families with turkeys and baskets filled with lots of side items to help make Thanksgiving a feast for them," said Michael Lofton, founder and CEO of the African American Youth Harvest Foundation (AAYHF). "Our community has many families who simply do not have the resources to be able to provide a full meal for Thanksgiving. Now they can."

The AAYHF works to enhance the quality of life for African American and low-income youth and families through school and community-based programs.

In addition to Sunday's event, Sendero Health Plans, APHs Neighborhood Services Unit, and the Watershed Protection Department distributed another 700 whole turkeys and 3,500 side dishes donated in part by the Central Texas Food Bank at two additional recent events. One was at the East Austin Neighborhood Center Saturday, November 12, 2022 and the other last Saturday at the Turner-Roberts Recreation Center. Volunteers also delivered more than 100 turkeys with side dishes to those who could not make it to the distribution events.

"We deeply appreciate the support we've received from the community over the last 10 years since we began operations," said Rudy Ybarra of Sendero Health Plans. "As the area's only non-profit community health plan we are gratified to be able to brighten the Thanksgiving holiday for so many of our neighbors."

"We are fortunate to work with so many great community partners to reach people who are sometimes hard to reach with food distributions," said Sandi Valdespino of the Neighborhood Services Unit. "We couldn't have done it without the help of so many volunteers and especially appreciate the efforts of the city's Watershed Protection team."

"We look forward to this opportunity to pay it forward with our community each year," said Ebonie Trice, Founder and CEO of Mission Accomplished.

Mission Accomplished is a non-profit organization founded in Austin in 2014 to assist those experiencing homelessness with laundry services by deploying a mobile trailer with four washers and four dryers to camps and other areas.

Formed in 2011, Sendero Health Plans is a community-supported nonprofit Health Maintenance Organization affiliated with the Travis County Health District, known as Central Health. Sendero is the first and only area Affordable Care Act health plan to receive a 4-Star Quality rating from the federal government. Sendero is dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing affordable, quality healthcare coverage, especially for Travis County residents with low incomes. Sendero offers its IdealCare plans on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace and is available in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, Burnet, Fayette, Lee and Caldwell counties.