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2025 Gala

We are Step Onward Foundation, and we believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to rise above adversity—one step at a time.

Our Story

The Step Onward Foundation began in 2004 when co-founders Patrice Pike and Todd Young were inspired to help a young person in need who Patrice met while touring with her band. Determined to make a difference, they organized a benefit concert to raise funds. With the support of the Austin Community Foundation, they quickly pulled everything together, and eventually surpassed their fundraising goal.

What started as a spontaneous benefit concert quickly turned into a larger mission. With help from the Austin Community Foundation, they raised more than they ever expected, and the Grace Foundation was born.

In 2015, Grace Foundation rebranded and became known as Step Onward Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, whose mission is to break cycles of hardship and uplift those facing homelessness and extreme challenges.

Patrice Pike

Todd Young

Our Dream.

We envision a world where all people have a place to call home and thrive.

Our Mission.

Step Onward prevents homelessness and housing insecurity. We provide financial assistance for housing, education, food and counseling to individuals and families facing chronic or sudden hardship.

Our Values.

At Step Onward Foundation, we follow our core values of compassion, responsibility, stewardship, community, and grace.

Compassion

Through kindness, caring, and a genuine belief in the potential of each of the individuals we serve, we encourage them to believe in themselves and strive for sustainability. In this way, their success becomes our success as another cycle is broken.

Responsibility

We believe all people struggling to overcome housing insecurity deeply desire to have agency over their lives and want the opportunity to take responsibility for a home of their own.

Stewardship

We are committed to the responsible management of OUR resources for the benefit of recipients and in honor of our donors.

Community

We believe in the strength of community. Since our inception, we have partnered with others who are already in the business of breaking the cycle of homelessness. We complement our partners’ efforts by filling the gaps in the services that they provide while extending and expanding resources to maximize positive outcomes.

Grace

We believe when resources, trust, and supportive relationships are given to people who are ready to step onward toward their future, growth and sustainability naturally emerge as a result.

Staff Members

Dr. Sam West
Executive Director
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Dr. Sam West
Executive Director

Dr. Sam West brings 20+ years of experience in education, nonprofits, and community development. A lifelong advocate for youth facing homelessness and healthcare insecurity, he holds Social Work degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Texas Tech University.

Dr. West has led initiatives across Houston’s education landscape, including roles at Communities In Schools, and Houston Community College, where he directed K–12 partnerships. He now serves with Lone Star College in Dual Credit and School Partnerships.

Dr. West is known for forging impactful collaborations with organizations like BakerRipley, United Way, ECHO Orchestra, and Montrose Grace Place. As Executive Director, he remains committed to empowering families and young adult survivors with dignity, resilience, and opportunity.

Patrice Pike
Co-Founder
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Patrice Pike
Co-Founder

Patrice Pike is an acclaimed professional musician and singer-songwriter based in Austin, Texas. Best known as the frontwoman of Austin jam band Sister 7, she helped shape the city’s live-music culture and was later inducted into the Austin/Texas Music Hall of Fame in recognition of her contributions.

Beyond the stage, Patrice is a respected nonprofit leader. As co-founder and director of Step Onward, she has played a key role in raising millions of dollars in support of the organization’s mission over the last two decades. She now serves as Director of Development, Culture, and Communications, where she continues to steward growth, deepen community impact, and align creative vision with sustainable leadership.

Kris Weixel
Director of Operations
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Kris Weixel
Director of Operations

Kris has a B.S. in Business Administration from Minnesota State University and is a former software engineer with IBM and finance and technology director at Spirit Reins.  She is in charge of Step Onward’s operations including finance, technology, and budgeting.

Kris is passionate about Step Onward’s mission and has had the privilege of hearing first-hand from Step Onward recipients about the enormous difference our support has made in their lives.

Board Members

Annette LoVoi
President
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Annette LoVoi
President

Ms. LoVoi has worked on behalf of consumers, particularly low-income and immigrant consumers, throughout her career. She was appointed by Governor Ann Richards of Texas as the State’s first Ombudsman to execute projects leading to policy and management change in government practice.

Ms. LoVoi has been elected twice as a public official, serving as an at-large trustee for the 85,000 student Austin Independent School District. Following her work for elected officials in Texas state and federal government.  She was selected in 1997 as the first Executive Director of Texas Appleseed. Under her leadership, Texas Appleseed spearheaded the passage of indigent defense reform, hailed as the most important reform of its kind in 25 years, as well as the design of the immigrant access to financial institutions project that has evolved into one of National Appleseed’s signature projects. This Texas state law served as a catalyst for more far-reaching federal legislation in the Dodd-Frank Act. Ms. LoVoi holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin.

Rick Fine
Vice President
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Rick Fine
Vice President Chair, Governance Committee

Rick Fine has been active in public affairs for more than 40 years at the local, state and federal levels. He has been a licensed attorney since 1979, working in both the public and private sectors. Rick’s practice has focused primarily on property tax valuations, business incentives, economic growth, public school finance, and state and local tax policy issues.

Rick serves on the Texas Advisory Board of the Environmental Defense Fund and chairs that board’s Governance Committee, as well. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, the state’s most influential research and advocacy group on tax, fiscal, and education policy.

Rick is a longtime supporter of Austin’s live music community. He has been practicing and teaching martial arts since 1976 and is currently an eighth degree black belt.

Susan Hillman
Secretary
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Susan Hillman
Secretary

Susan has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She has over ten years of comprehensive experience in health and human services.   She also has an extensive volunteer background with direct services and advocacy organizations including Planned Parenthood, AIDS Services of Austin, The SAFE Alliance, and Equality Texas. She is the proud mother of two, Gabe and Sam. She loves hiking and camping with her husband Ramon.

Volney Campbell
Director
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Volney Campbell
Director

Volney Campbell is a real estate executive with Colliers, a songwriter, part of two Austin bands, Driver ATX and The Late Arrivals, and a weapon of mass compassion.

Laura McFarland
Director
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Laura McFarland
Director

Laura McFarland is an educator and researcher with a passion for mental health. Laura serves as COO of the Natural Lifemanship Institute, a leader in the field of trauma-informed mental health and wellness services incorporating horses. She has a doctorate in Special Education with an emphasis on preparing educators to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse youth with disabilities and other learning or behavioral challenges. As an applied researcher, she has designed and conducted numerous program evaluations for not-for-profits in the education and mental health sectors. Laura is deeply inspired by Step Onward’s mission and the positive impact that our support has had on those we serve.

Ed Loya
Director
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Ed Loya
Director

Ed Loya served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for Dell’s Corporate Services functions. In this role, he is responsible for the daily management of Global HR programs and processes. Prior to this role, Ed held various HR leadership roles in support of Commercial Sales, Dell International Services, Americas Contact Centers, Home and Small Business, Public and Federal Sales, Product Group and Global Operations. Ed was at Dell Technologies for 34 years.

Ed was the Executive Sponsor for Latino Connection – a Dell employee resource group aimed at supporting the recruitment and retention of Latinos at Dell. Ed also served as a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Board of Directors. He lends his extensive corporate experience to advance the mission of the Institute. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) is a premier Hispanic nonprofit and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) leadership development organization in the country firmly rooted in the same three mission cornerstones laid by our founders: Educate. Empower. Connect. He was a member of Michigan State University’s Graduate School of Human Resources and Labor Relations Board of Directors. In addition, was on the Board of Advisors for North Carolina Central University.

Before joining Dell in 1992, Ed worked for The University of Texas at Austin and INROADS, Inc. and has more than 35 years of Executive Human Resources management experience. Ed graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Communications.

Partnerships

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Dell Children’s Hospital provides life-saving treatments to children of all ages in the Austin area and is one of our largest partnerships. Step Onward collaborates with Social Workers to keep families housed – families at risk of losing their home due to a medical crisis of their child. Step Onward is able to successfully stop and prevent evictions to keep these families housed, giving them time to get back on their feet again.
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Star of Hope is a Christ-centered community supporting Houston’s homeless men, women and children. They encourage positive life changes through programs in spiritual growth, education, employment, life management and substance abuse recovery.
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Presbyterian Children’s Home helps children heal from trauma so they can build healthy relationships, succeed in education and discover their own world of opportunities and possibilities. PCHAS combines data-driven programs and expertly trained staff with a philosophy of care that keeps everyone—from social workers to executive leaders—focused on the goals and strengths of each child and their family.
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Lifeworks of Austin is a fierce advocate for youth in our community and works to solve youth homelessness through housing, mental health, education and workforce services. Step Onward collaborates with social workers from Lifeworks to fill a gap in necessary funding to help young adult survivors of homelessness achieve their goals of independence and stability. We are proud to say that Lifeworks is our longest partnership.
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DePelchin Children’s Center serves children and their families by providing comprehensive services focused on ensuring all children are part of safe, caring homes. They deploy evidence-based practices and strategies to prevent maltreatment, preserve healthy families, and bring healing to children who have experienced trauma by enhancing their physical health and mental well-being. Founded in 1892, DePelchin is a nonprofit organization with locations throughout Houston and across Texas.
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Champion Institute is dedicated to the spiritual, social, and professional development of young men. Through their initiatives and services, youth gain renewed inner strength to approach life’s challenges, rediscover doors of opportunity to pursue personal and professional goals, and find meaning in their own lives resulting in a desire to serve others. Step Onward partners with Champion to fill a gap in funding that allows these individuals to achieve their educational goals.
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Texas Children’s Hospital provides life-saving treatments to children of all ages in Texas. Step Onward collaborates with Social Workers to keep families housed – families at risk of losing their home due to a medical crisis of their child. Step Onward is able to successfully stop and prevent evictions to keep these families housed, giving them time to get back on their feet again.
FurrBaby Pantry
The Furrbaby Food Pantry is dedicated to helping families in need of assistance with their pets. As a community-based group, our goal is to offer support during times of financial hardship to help keep pet families together and pets out of the shelter. Step Onward partners with Furrbaby Food Pantry to help our families keep their pets.

Funders

Deep Gratitude

Over the years, many talented artists have supported Step Onward Foundation’s mission by lending their time and talents to the organization. We are forever grateful for the support of the following:

Arc Angels

Doobie Brothers

Rosie Flores

Susan Gibson

Kalu James

Shelley King

Malford Milligan

Monte Montgomery

Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real

Patrice Pike Band

Pike and Sutton

Sister 7

The Reverent Few

Kathy Valentine

Vintage Trouble

Carolyn Wonderland

Graham Wilkinson

Together, We Can Make a Difference

Helping others comes in many different forms. It could even be as simple as signing up for our newsletter.

Join us and be a part of something bigger.

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