We are excited to present our July Mission Ambassador: Angela Olmeta. Originally from Venezuela, Angela moved to Austin from New York City with her husband and two children during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she settled into her new community, she wanted to find a meaningful way to give back.
In 2024, while serving on the volunteer committee at Greenleaf Book Group, Angela began searching for volunteer opportunities for herself and her coworkers. Although delivering meals wasn’t the right fit, she discovered another way to support Meals on Wheels Central Texas through the Healthy Options Program for the Elderly (HOPE), a program that provides older adults with groceries every month in brown paper bags.
Angela realized that her company, which was full of designers and creative professionals, could decorate the brown paper bags before they were filled and delivered to neighbors.
Greenleaf Book Group decorated 100 HOPE bags as a company in 2024, with Angela coordinating the effort by picking up bags, organizing the volunteers, and returning the finished artwork.
But, for Angela, the project didn’t end there. As an art studio major, Angela had always loved painting and other artistic projects like knitting and cross stitch, but over the years, her life became busy, and art slowly took a back seat. The HOPE bag project changed that.
“It brought me back to something I used to enjoy,” Angela shared. “I’m happy to give back in this little way while getting back into something I love to do.”
In 2025, Angela made a New Year’s resolution to decorate 50 HOPE bags each month on her own. While listening to audiobooks, she spends hours painting colorful designs that transform an ordinary grocery bag into something much more meaningful: “It’s not just a brown paper bag anymore.”
Today, Angela continues painting bags each month on her own, while Greenleaf Book Group has made decorating HOPE bags part of its annual volunteer tradition, returning as a team in 2025 and 2026.
For Angela, each bag is an opportunity to remind someone they matter.
“I hope they think, ‘Someone put time and thought and care into making me happy,’” she said.
Though her volunteer role happens behind the scenes, she knows small acts of kindness can have a lasting impact. Angela also hopes her story will encourage others who may be unsure about volunteering.
“There are so many ways to get involved,” she said. “You don’t have to have a special talent, and trying something new can bring you joy too.”
With Meals on Wheels Central Texas, there are many unique ways to support older adults across Central Texas. Every volunteer helps create moments of care and connection for our neighbors. For Angela, that connection begins with a paintbrush and the hope that one bag can brighten someone’s day.
You can support Angela's volunteer work through her Instagram: @artbaggrl
If you’re interested in finding your own unique volunteer opportunity with Meals on Wheels Central Texas, reach out to our team to learn more.
