As we look ahead to our annual Back to School Drive, we’re sharing the inspiring story of the Hernandez family. Jannette Hernandez and her seven children came to our Homestead Oaks Apartments in 2023 through our Children’s HOME Initiative program (CHI) after struggling with housing. With help from CHI and no-cost childcare through our Learning Center programs, the family is now thriving and looking forward to moving into their own home very soon. You can watch a video about their success story below.

You can help more families find success by donating to the Foundation Communities Back to School Drive at foundcom.org/btsd. This year, we are hoping to raise $100,000 so our Learning Center students will start the next school year with all the supplies, technology and healthy meals they need to be successful.

It took many people and entities to build Juniper Creek Apartments on North Lamar. On February 12, Foundation Communities hosted a Ribbon Cutting at the Laurel Creek Learning Center next door to say thank you. Area leaders, major funding partners, and others in attendance also had a chance to tour the affordable community.

Laurel Creek resident Tattoo Hernandez shared about her family’s journey to affordable housing through Foundation Communities, and about the free support services they take advantage of.You can watch video of the Ribbon Cutting ceremony below.

Prior to the start of the 2026 Tax Season, Foundation Communities IRS-certified tax preparers in Austin and North Texas spent time learning the new tax laws, including new and higher deductions. Our tax services are free for individuals earning less than $60,000 and families of 2-to 4 earning less than $85,000 (plus $5,000 for each additional member).

In its 22nd year, Prosper Tax Help has about 450 IRS-certified volunteers and nine locations across Travis and Williamson Counties. Karol Iruegas has been a client since 2019. She spoke at the January 16 kickoff event. “Through Prosper Tax Help and Foundation Communities’ Financial Wellness programs, I now feel more confident and in control of my finances,” said Karol. Also speaking were Foundation Communities Executive Director Walter Moreau, Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter, and Austin Mayor Pro Tem Jose “Chito” Vela. You can view the kickoff below.

Learn more about Prosper Tax Help and schedule an appointment at ProsperTaxHelp.org.

Construction crews are on track to complete Burleson Studios by next summer. On October 15, we held a celebration of the progress on this supportive community for single adults who have struggled maintaining housing. We also thanked the various partners that funded the development. You can watch video of the celebration below.

“There was no question that one way or another we were going to open our doors on November 1st. So here we are. Bring it on. We’re ready!” Foundation Communities Executive Director Walter Moreau teared up as he made this declaration at the Prosper Health Coverage kickoff on October 31. Getting ready for the program’s 13th open enrollment season has not been easy. In February, the federal government withdrew $2.4 million from Prosper Health Coverage, money used for staff and outreach to uninsured Central Texans. We are very grateful that Central Health replaced half of that lost funding, $1.2 million.

Getting ready also involved doubling the number of volunteer enrollment counselors to 200. They are now working to help clients find the best Healthcare.gov plan for them. That help is more important with the federal government limiting coverage and subsidies for plans through the Affordable Care Act, causing some premiums to double. Also speaking at the kickoff were Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Central Health President and CEO Dr. Patrick Lee, and Paul Scott, the CEO for HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians). HAAM musician Lindsey Verrill (pictured here) talked about how easy the counselors make signing up for health insurance. She also performed. You can watch video of the entire kickoff below.

Open Enrollment ends January 15, 2026. If you need health insurance you can afford, set up an appointment by calling 512-381-4520, or go to ProsperHealthCoverage.org.

 One of the original residents of our Zilker Studios supportive community for single adults, Kelas Lloyd recently reflected on the past several years. Kelas says there is no roadmap, that anyone’s life can take surprising and devastating turns. 

“In 1995, I was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease,” said Kelas. “My body began to fail me. About a decade later I was forced to go on disability.” 

Kelas says they quickly found that disability was not keeping up with the cost of living in Austin. 

They shared housing costs with a roommate, until the roommate suddenly had to leave Austin. Kelas’ lease was ending and they couldn’t afford to renew. They planned to move into a room in a friend’s home, but the friend just stopped responding to messages. Kelas was now homeless. 

They checked into an extended stay hotel until they could camp out in another friend’s home office temporarily.Their search for a long-term solution only turned up apartments that seemed “creepy or like a scam.” Kelas remembers the anxiety of wondering what would happen if their friend needed them to move out of her house before something turned up. Were they headed for the street, like so many others around Austin? Kelas wasn’t sure they could survive that with the chronic pain they were living with. Then a life-changing call came. Foundation Communities was opening Zilker Studios and leasing affordable apartments for lower-income adults. Kelas quickly applied, not wanting to miss this opportunity, and moved in in the summer of 2023. 

Now, Kelas participates in a variety of activities at Zilker Studios designed to foster a community spirit – the Resident Council, Coffee Hours, outings and events for residents.

Kelas says, “Living at Zilker Studios has been transformative. Before, I was just existing. Now, I’m able to seek out things I enjoy.” 

Staff at Zilker Studios introduced Kelas to the Art from the Streets organization. They now enjoy painting regularly and getting positive responses from their creative work. Also, Kelas has a new roommate, a cat named Ser Bartholomew. 

On September 5, Kelas Lloyd spoke at the kickoff to support Proposition Q in Austin, sharing their experiences struggling to afford housing in Austin, and how supportive housing and services have made a huge difference in their life. You can watch their entire speech below.

Due to the high cost of housing and other necessities, many families and individuals in the Austin area who are living on $13/hour or less are just one hardship away from losing their homes. Earlier this year, Cardinal Point Apartments resident Maddison and her two children began preparing themselves emotionally for becoming homeless. Both of her children are living with disabilities.

“Between juggling their care needs and experiencing a temporary loss of income, I fell a month behind on rent,” said Maddison. “Things were incredibly tight, and I had no safety net to fall back on.”

The family was looking into shelters and where they could store their belongings when they found out from their property manager that they could apply for emergency rent assistance from Foundation Communities. Their application was approved.

“This support helped me stabilize things for my kids and gave me just enough of a break to not lose our home. The process was respectful and kind, which made it a lot easier to ask for help during such a vulnerable time.”

Maddison was able to find a temporary job, but it will end soon. So, her family is still facing financial uncertainty. Still, she says she is grateful for the assistance they received.

With help from our generous supporters, Foundation Communities helped 87 families and individuals with emergency rental assistance totaling over $93,800 in the first six months of 2025. We greatly appreciate the donors for helping us support our residents in times of critical need.

Click here to watch Joahmaad’s video
Ten-year-old Joahmaad was an average student prior to the pandemic. When in-person classes resumed, he had fallen behind his classmates, especially in reading. When it was time to read aloud in class, the normally well-mannered student would become disruptive. His teacher felt he was doing it to avoid his turn to read because he was afraid someone would make fun of him.

In December of 2023, Joahmaad moved to Daffodil Apartments with his mother and older brother. Both boys were enrolled in the community’s Learning Center Afterschool Program.

“I started to like the stories they gave us,” said Joahmaad. “We learned about history and stuff. I think that’s what helped me.”

Joahmaad said it also helped that his friends in the Learning Center didn’t judge him for his reading, and helped him sound out the tough words. Now, when Joahmaad’s classmates read to each other in school or the Learning Center, he always wants to go first!

Joahmaad’s mother, Ryan, says he now reads all the time at home as it feeds his curiosity. His grades improved to A’s and B’s, and he even started winning academic awards. Joahmaad’s behavior in school improved also. When asked what she thinks led to the turnaround, Ryan chalks it up to the homework help he receives at the Learning Center, the one-on-one attention from staff and the way the staff makes it fun to learn. She says it’s all Joahmaad talks about when he comes home.

“He’s like…this is what we made. This is what she taught us. We’re gardening,” said Ryan. “He had me gardening. We put seeds in the backyard. Moving to Daffodil was a really great experience. The Learning Center just added to it.”

Click on the video below to learn more about Joahmaad’s success story.

There are many students like Joahmaad who are performing better in school since they enrolled in our Learning Centers. Our students score an average GPA in school of 3.67!

You can help us set the students up for more success in the upcoming school year by giving to the Foundation Communities Back to School Drive. Your donations will help us purchase supplies, technology and meals for our 16 on-site Learning Centers. You can even set up a fundraising team so you and your friends can support the students. Click HERE to get involved.

Click here to watch the video

As a resident of Foundation Communities and one of the organization’s most active and dedicated volunteers, Marie Thorne was a natural choice to speak at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party.  Speaking about her journey to Foundation Communities, Marie told the crowd, “Thank you all for seeing me, supporting me, and reminding me that even after the hardest battles, joy can return. Purpose can return.”

In the 90s, Marie had a good job and was in good health. Then, at the age of 36, she suffered a brain hemorrhage and a stroke that left her paralyzed on her right side. Through therapy, Marie regained much of her mobility, but the hemorrhages and seizures continued, leading to multiple surgeries. Struggling to walk, talk and write, she was forced to retire early and go on disability.

With her limited income, Marie lived in a very small apartment. She started searching for something larger that she could afford. That search led to a Foundation Communities Open House in April of 2024. At the event, Marie learned about the nonprofit’s dozens of affordable apartment communities for families and for single adults. She also heard about the many volunteer opportunities with Foundation Communities programs that provide an array of services to Central Texans at no cost. She desperately wanted to be a part of that. Fortunately, there was a large, one-bedroom apartment available at The Jordan at Mueller Apartments, an affordable community in an upscale neighborhood. Marie applied for it, and a short time later, we welcomed here home.

Soon after Marie was settled in her new home, she started volunteering at the on-site Healthy Food Pantry at The Jordan. “Due to my health problems, I used to just take it easy, rest and do nothing,” said Marie. “It felt like my life had no purpose and I was just waiting to die. I had used other food banks in the 90s & it was such a degrading experience. But, I liked the way the Foundation Communities workers treated people with dignity and respect. I wanted to do that too. It also gave me an opportunity to get out and meet people, make new friends and help people.”

It wasn’t long before Marie was volunteering at three food pantries at a time. She says since it’s just a couple of hours, three-days-a-week it doesn’t leave her worn out. She enjoys greeting the clients, letting them know what foods were available and how they might prepare them. She has also met families she will never forget, like the woman who had just lost her daughter in a car accident and had to provide housing and food for her son-in-law and her two grandchildren. Also, a family of 11 that had been forced to go into hiding in Afghanistan, and then escape to the US. Speaking to them in Farsi, Marie learned they were living in another family’s home until they could find work here.

“These were proud, educated people, and it was difficult for them to come to a food pantry,” said Marie. “They felt ashamed. I gave them a big hug, and I told them they are not alone, and I get my food from the pantry too because I don’t happen to have much money at the moment, but I will because I’m going to win the lottery!”

This year, Marie also volunteered at a Foundation Communities Prosper Center helping out with the Tax Help program. She wrapped up her speech at the Volunteer Appreciation Party by saying “Whatever you’ve faced, whatever you’re still facing, you’re not alone. There’s always a new chapter waiting. Mine started with a brain hemorrhage and continues with a box of donated cereal. Life is funny like that.”

Thank you, Marie for helping us serve our neighbors, and for inspiring us.”