Feature stories on specific Austin businesses listed here.
Community: Mobile Blessings From The Heart feeds ~500 East Austinites a week
Every Friday and Saturday on a vacant lot at 3614 Munson St, a small faith-based 501(c)(3) lays out free groceries for anyone who walks up — no paperwork, no proof of need, first come first served from 11 AM. It was started by Jeanette Valdez Duran, who spent 2006–2009 homeless in North Austin and began by handing out food from her parents' driveway on the same street. The line outgrew the block; the lot came next; today it's roughly 500 people a week, stocked by the Central Texas Food Bank, Trader Joe's, Costco, and grocery surplus rescued before it hits the dumpster. KXAN named her its 2025 Remarkable Woman and the Texas House honored her with H.R. 900. We think Austin should know about them. On Saturday, October 10 they host their first annual fundraising dinner in Spicewood — $100 seats and VIP tables for businesses, RSVP by October 5.
Read their story and how to help →New on Austin Local Pros: PatchMaster South Austin
PatchMaster South Austin does one thing and does it properly: drywall repair. Locally owned and operated by Hamish and Melanie Pellew, the shop handles the damage most general contractors would rather not schedule around — doorknob dings and dents, cracked plaster, settlement cracks, and the patch-and-paint work that has to blend into an existing wall well enough that nobody can find it afterward. It is the kind of job that is too small for a remodeler and too finicky for a general handyman, which is exactly the gap they fill. Homeowners, property managers, and realtors prepping a house for listing have rated them 5 stars across 88 Google reviews, and they work across south Austin Monday through Saturday.
View their listing →New on Austin Local Pros: Rebecca Gindele, eXp Realty
Rebecca Gindele has called Austin home since 1998 and has watched the city grow into what it is today. She holds a master's degree in advertising from the University of Texas and spent years in sales and marketing — including as a sales director for local media companies and in leadership roles at several tech startups — before becoming a licensed REALTOR® in 2014. Since then she's bought, sold, built, renovated, and flipped homes for both herself and her clients, and in 2019 launched her own home-staging company to give clients an extra edge when listing. She's based near Great Hills in northwest Austin with eXp Realty, bringing that full-circle design, marketing, and investment background to every buyer and seller she works with.
View her listing →