Our Community Impact

2013
Health & Wellness Grant Recipient:

Manos de Cristo

Project:

Grow the Clinic

Manos de Cristo empowers low-income individuals with a loving hand of assistance and welcomes all regardless of age, gender, race, or religious preference. Manos promotes dignity and self-reliance by providing essential oral care, furthering educational development, and meeting basic needs with food and clothing.

In operation for 25 years, the Manos de Cristo clinic is currently the only low-fee, comprehensive, non-profit dental service provider in Austin providing high-quality care to low-income adults and children in need. The aging dental clinic located in East Austin is being relocated to a larger and newly renovated North Central location that will allow the clinic to grow from serving 4,200 to serving 11,000 patients per year. The "Grow the Clinic" project will fund the purchase of three new and complete dental chair systems to service underprivileged patients at the new dental clinic location for decades to come.

For more information, visit their website: www.manosdecristo.org
 

2012
Culture Grant Recipient:

Creative Action(Formerly Theatre Action Project)

Project:

New Stages

Theatre Action Project (TAP) is an interactive, educational theatre company serving the schools and communities of Greater Austin. The TAP program “New Stages” is an outreach for middle and high school students recently released from juvenile detention. TAP professionals support them to develop into emotionally sound and socially skilled adults.  Drama, role play, group discussion, and team games support academics and encourage critical thinking skills.  These young people creatively examine real life dilemmas and engage in thoughtful conversations for their emotional development.  Participants develop relationships and self confidence. They are paid a stipend to work year round in after school programs and ultimately tour their original performances in Youth Theatre Companies, thereby sharing important life lessons with thousands of other youth in the community.  Supported by skilled professionals this program supports youth to move beyond their past. By blocking the 75% recidivism generally seen in this population, TAP positively supports our community.  Impact Austin is proud to fund their efforts.

For more details, visit their website: creativeaction.org

2012
Education Grant Recipient:

AVANCE-Austin

Project:

Parent Child Education in Del Valle

AVANCE serves low-income predominately Spanish speaking families with enhancing parenting skills, promoting children’s long-term educational success, and breaking the family’s trans-generational cycle of poverty. The nationally recognized intensive 9-month Parent-Child Education Program offers weekly 4-hour classes for Spanish speaking parents of children from birth to three years. Bi-lingual and culturally competent professionals provide information on topics such as parenting, children’s cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development, health and nutrition, accessing community resources, and age appropriate lessons for children. Their holistic approach includes food, transportation, and home visits to parents who are socially isolated. AVANCE has provided service to the community for 15 years to break the cycle of poverty and deliver children in poverty to school ready for success. With Impact Austin’s grant, the program will expand to Del Valle and impact 50 individuals (20 parents and 30 children) in its pilot year. As Austin continues to experience a growing population of families who struggle to access social services and meet basic needs, Impact Austin is proud to team up with a program with a great record of success. For more details, visit their website: www.avance-austin.org
 

2012
Environment Grant Recipient:

Ecology Action


Project:

Circle Acres Master Plan

Ecology Action of Texas, founded in1970, is a worker-run cooperative focused on environmental issues, most notably recycling. Their mission is “to educate and empower people to create a healthier environment through waste prevention and accessibility to recycling.”  Over their long history in Austin, they have developed a robust system that supports education and recycling. To further their mission Ecology Action purchased a 10-acre tract of land, Circle Acres, in East Austin near the Colorado River where they will develop a commercial composting operation. The goal is to turn local restaurant food scraps into nutrient rich soil. Impact Austin’s grant will support them to make critical infrastructure investments and to map out a master plan for the future of Circle Acres. Ecology Action envisions Circle Acres as a national model for environmental remediation and education, and a key step in the transition to a zero-waste society. 

For more details, visit their website: www.ecology-action.org

2012
Family Grant Recipient:

Partnerships for Children



Project:

YES Mentor Program

Partnerships for Children provides a myriad of services for abused and neglected children in our community who are in the care of Child Protective Services. Youth Empowerment & Success (YES) Mentor Program, identifies children 16 to 18 residing in group or foster care, and who would benefit most from a mentor and a financial literacy training program.  Each participant receives a bank account with a stipend supported by a curriculum that includes banking, credit, saving, budgets, investing, and other topics as preparation to live as an adult.  A well-trained volunteer works individually to mentor a child until he turns 18 with the opportunity for the relationship to continue on its own, and they both meet once a month in small groups as well.  The program strives to decrease negative life outcomes for these youth, such as homelessness, incarceration, unemployment, teen pregnancy, and poverty. Impact Austin’s grant will support Partnerships for Children to continue this successful program. For more details, visit their website: http://www.partnershipsforchildren.org