March 26, 2025
Meals on Wheels Central Texas has kicked-off it's Community Champions Initiative. This initiative strives to bring attention to and address older adult hunger, malnutrition, and social isolation across the Central Texas region. Our Community Champions represent our organization through acts of community service, engagement opportunities, and advocacy on their social media platforms.
We are pleased to introduce Susie Soriano Duarte as our first Community Champion. Susie was born and raised in East Austin. As a young girl, Susie witnessed the positive impact of Meals on Wheels Central Texas in her own grandmother’s life, as she was a recipient of our home-delivered meals.
While Susie’s family was from a modest background, she shares that she never viewed these services as charity. Rather, she viewed our home-delivered meals, as well as other community resources, as opportunities for progress and growth.
Our Community Champion began her career with the Texas Attorney General’s Office Child Support Division in 1994 and transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2013. After a 29-year-long career with the State, Susie retired in 2024. Working for the State of Texas for nearly three decades, and now dedicating much of her time in retirement to the community, Susie embodies a servant’s heart.
She believes that social media is a powerful tool for doing good. Through her online platforms, our Community Champion shares resources and helpful information, using her voice for positive change. Members of the community have engaged with Susie’s online content, reaching out to ask her questions and share their own experiences. Susie is always happy to share her knowledge and provide support in anyway she can.
In addition to using social media to connect, our Champion is very involved in community service. With Meals on Wheels Central Texas, Susie provides nourishment and care to our older adult community through our home-delivered meal program. Susie is also the East Austin Ambassador for the Austin Latinas Unidas organization. Additionally, she enjoys hosting free community-wide events such as clothing swaps.
On March 26, we invited Susie to visit the Meals on Wheels Central Texas office, where she met our President & CEO, Henry Van de Putte. We proudly presented her with a Certificate of Recognition and provided a tour of our Central Kitchen for a behind-the-scenes look at our meal preparation.
Want to connect with our Community Champion, Susie? Check out her Instagram (@susiejduarte), Facebook (susiesorianoduarte), LinkedIn (susieduarte), and view her website at SusieDuarte.com.
Now more than ever, our neighbors need advocates. You too, can be a Champion for older adults in the community who depend on our services to age in place with dignity and independence.
Please consider making a gift to support our home-delivered meal program and other life-enriching services. Or experience The Power of The Knock firsthand and deliver hot, nutritious meals to our neighbors.