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Where to find a warm meal, food distribution sites in Austin today
(Old Thousand/Instagram)
Another day without power and water for some, local spots around town are helping feed community members after a week of brutal weather. If you're in need of a warm meal, Austin restaurants have you covered with free hot food while supplies last.
If you are in need of drinking water, click here for a list of places providing water to the public.
And besides free meals and water at local restaurants, four different emergency food distribution locations can be found around Austin.
- North Austin: Juan Navarro High School, 1201 Payton Gin Road
- Central Austin: Millennium Entertainment Center, 1156 Hargrave St.
- South Austin: Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Drive
- East Austin: Dailey Middle School, 14000 Westall St.
Vic and Al's, 2406 Manor Road
Nixta Taqueria, 2512 E. 12th St.
Seoulju, 9515 N. Lamar Blvd.
Vera Cruz Tacos, 111 E. Cesar Chavez
Chi'Lantro, 11005 Burnet Road #108
Golden Tiger, 1816 E. 6th St.
Old Thousand, 4805 Burnet Road and 1000 E. 11th St.
Bouldin Acres, 2027 S. Lamar Blvd.
Buenos Aires Cafe, 1201 E. 6th St.
Taco Deli, 12001 Burnet Road and 7301 Burnet Road
PhoNatic, 2525 W. Anderson Lane Suite 280 and 200 University Blvd.
China Harbor, 801 E. William Cannon Dr.
Schlotzsky's at Northcross, 2545 W Anderson Lane
Popular
(Pexels)
Lately, the crypto market is looking shaky.
The price of bitcoin fell by more than half from its high, the digital currency luna crashed to $0 and a type of so-called stablecoin TerraUSD has been described as dead.
Reporting from the LA Times notes that experts seeing a correlation between traditional markets and the cryptocurrency market is high right now, with plunges in one being followed by a plunge in the other. On Wednesday, stocks had their worst day in more than two years with the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling 1,164 points.
Crypto’s volatility has long been questioned, especially after SXSW this year was filled with Web3 enthusiasts and displays.
With 8% of Texans owning Bitcoin and many others involved in the local crypto and Web3 scene, what are they feeling amid the crash?
In a written comment to Austonia, ATX DAO said a positive with the downturn is that “most of the speculative moneygrab type projects get washed out of the market, and the quality projects that deliver real value remain and gather more attention.”
The group went on to say it could work to their advantage as they carry out their latest project: a mural at Native Hostel that will have an NFT version. They’ll use sales toward donations to HOPE Outdoor Gallery, a local nonprofit that supports artists and creatives.
Meanwhile, Yagub Rahimov, a founder of an Austin-based Web3 company explains that they aren’t really impacted by the crash.
Since the company known as Tested Web functions as a Web3 online reputation marketplace, it is utilizing blockchain technology without tokenizing.
“We are a share to earn marketplace. That means that any activity that users have on tested web.com, we will be rewarding,” Rahimov said. “Those rewards are coming in the form of rewards points. And every quarter they can opt in to receive either a gift card or a check. We are not issuing any cryptocurrency. That's one of the important elements that I believe we got it right that way.”
With recent developments at Tested Web, Rahimov says he “couldn’t be happier.” After struggling to find tech talent in early spring, he’s had a hiring spree in the last 10 days and received a $1 million grant and partnership with Silent Notary, a blockchain-powered validation provider.
But his recent business success aside, Rahimov is noticing what’s happening in the markets and predicts that the correlation between the crypto market and traditional one will be broken.
“The way Bitcoin was introduced back in 2009, it was as a reply or response to the 2008 market crash,” Rahimov said. “And it really feels like we are in 2007, 2008, actually, early, early days of the market crash. And if it becomes that way, very likely that the winner is going to be those of decentralized parties.”
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Barton Springs Pool is on a condensed schedule while the city tries to fill out its lifeguard roster.
The popular pool is currently closed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays while it navigates a lifeguard shortage. The city is offering bonuses to new applicants who can start by early June.
Austin Parks and Recreation Assistant Director Jodi Jay said there are 207 lifeguards ready to work and 100 incoming but the department needs 750 to be fully staffed.
Zoom out: The pandemic has had a lasting impact on hiring—in 2019, the city was able to hire 850 lifeguards. The Aquatic Department has been unable to match those numbers since it reopened training classes in spring of 2021.
Why it matters: The city needs at least 400 lifeguards, plus 30 with open water certification, to open pools on a modified schedule by June 4. Without hitting that mark, some facilities could limit hours or close.
The job pays between $16-19 an hour, anyone over 15 can get certified and there are bonuses on the table:
- $500 bonus if you get certified and start working by June 6.
- $500 bonus if you work through August 14.
- $250 bonus if you get advanced certification.
