Refugee Collective tells Public Health Commission it has delivered 78,000 pounds of culturally preferred food since 2022

Matt Saino, farm director for the Refugee Collective, and Sarah Sims, program manager for the organization’s Community Farmer Program, presented to the Austin-Travis County Public Health Commission about the group’s food-access work and livelihood programming for recently arrived refugees.

The presentation focused on the Collective’s mix of regenerative agriculture, culturally tailored community-supported agriculture (CSA) shares and workforce-development programs. "We're here to talk about the Refugee Collective's food access initiatives and how that contributes to refugee health," Saino said as he opened the presentation.

Why it matters: Commissioners heard that refugee households participating in the Collective’s programs face higher rates of food insecurity and that tailoring food distribution to cultural preferences can improve usage and health. The presenters said the program combines direct food deliveries with training and employment to support both nutrition and economic stability among newly arrived families.

Saino described the Refugee Collective as a nonprofit founded in 2009 that operates a certified-organic farm near Elgin (near the town of Manor) and a textile studio in downtown Austin.…