The new Lakeline Station Apartments (Credit: Foundation Communities)

It may seem like every beautiful apartment complex in Austin is financially out of reach. With rent continuing to soar, how do we keep some sense of balance in our city? Even though working toward affordable housing solutions in Austin may feel impossibly weighty, Foundation Communities has been tackling this issue with unwavering persistence. [Read more…]

In 1992, a Latina baby girl had less than a one percent chance of acquiring a college education. It was a grim statistic, one Austin Latinas and fellow women took to heart. It was a statistic they set out to change. The result was Con Mi MADRE.

What began as a mother-daughter program in 1992 has become a thriving nonprofit that serves more than 600 young Latinas and their mothers in the greater Austin area. For the past 24 years, Con Mi MADRE has worked to change the expectations and stigmas for young Latina women.

Today, the organization works to open doors for members, exposing them to opportunities they never thought possible. [Read more…]

Open discussion at The SEED class at Houston Elementary School in Austin (Credit: The SEED)

The SEED offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to adults in Austin, emphasizing participation and community building. Learners are engaged community members and participants in their own educational experience. They give input on various aspects of the classes, including what they want to learn, what type of outreach or fundraising they want to do, and how much time they want to spend on a given task. [Read more…]