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STATETexasSan Marcos

San Marcos Local Assistance Programs

This page lists local organizations in San Marcos, Texas that provide food, legal aid and social services. San Marcos is the county seat of Hays County, between Austin and San Antonio. Statewide programs are described on the Texas page.

Texas RioGrande Legal AidFree civil legal aid
Websitetrla.org
Hotline1-888-988-9996
Austin office4920 N. I-35, Austin, TX 78751
Hotline hoursMonday through Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

San Marcos has no Texas RioGrande Legal Aid office of its own. The nearest office is in Austin, and the legal aid provider for Hays County is Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. It provides free civil legal help to low-income residents. Call the hotline to apply.1

Food

Hays County Food BankClient-choice food market
Websitehaysfoodbank.org
Phone512-392-8300
Address1612 S I-35 Frontage Rd., San Marcos, TX 78666
Market hoursBy appointment only. Appointments are made in person.

The Hays County Food Bank runs a client-choice market in San Marcos where households pick out their own groceries. Each household may visit once every 30 days and may choose up to 80 pounds of food. The food bank runs drive-through distributions in Buda, Kyle, and Wimberley, and its resource team helps with SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP, and TANF applications.2

Southside Community CenterFood pantry and free meals
Websitesouthsidecommunitycenter.org
Phone(512) 392-6694
Address518 S. Guadalupe St., San Marcos, TX 78666
HoursMonday through Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Southside Community Center serves free meals daily and runs a food pantry for Hays County families. It helps residents find resources for medical care, food, and shelter. Call first to confirm current meal times.3

Social services

Community Action, Inc. of Central TexasUtility assistance and community services
Websitecommunityaction.com
Phone(512) 392-1161
Address215 S. Reimer Ave., Suite 130, San Marcos, TX 78666
HoursMonday through Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas is the community action agency for Hays, Caldwell, and Blanco counties. Its San Marcos office takes applications for utility assistance through the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program, with priority for households with the lowest income and the highest energy costs. It runs Head Start, adult education, and health services. Applications for 2026 utility assistance are closed. Applications for 2027 open Monday, January 25.4

The Salvation Army San Marcos Service CenterEmergency help
Websitesalvationarmy.org
Phone512-754-8541
Address1101 Thorpe Ln., Suite 105, San Marcos, TX 78666
HoursCall for hours

The Salvation Army San Marcos Service Center is the local Salvation Army point of contact for Hays County. Call first to confirm current programs and hours, as availability changes with funding and season.5

Sources & notes
Data and figures on this page come from the sources and notes below:

Footnotes

  1. Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Offices. Hays County is in the TRLA service area, and the Austin office is the nearest to San Marcos: City of San Marcos, Security Deposit Law. ↩

  2. Hays County Food Bank, Get Help. The market address is 1612 S I-35 Frontage Rd; older directories still list the former address, 220 Herndon St. ↩

  3. Southside Community Center, About. The center’s own site lists hours of 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM; the United Way of Hays County Community Resource Guide lists 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. ↩

  4. Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas, Utility Assistance. ↩

  5. The Salvation Army, Other Locations, Texas Division. ↩

  1. Sugar Land Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  2. Temple Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  3. Tyler Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  4. Waco Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  5. Wichita Falls Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  6. Abilene Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  7. Allen Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  8. Amarillo Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  9. Arlington Local Assistance Programs, Texas.
  10. Austin Local Assistance Programs, Texas.

About this information

SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.

The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.

Data freshness

Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.

Last updated
Updated by
Ada Hu
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