How We Help - Step Onward Foundation

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We empower individuals and families with resources, support, and opportunities to thrive.

Step Onward’s passion and purpose is to prevent homelessness. By changing the trajectory of the individuals and families we serve, we are also mitigating the burden on our local shelters, child welfare, emergency systems and even jails, thus playing a critical role in an overall strategy to prevent and address homelessness in our communities.

Step Onward is based in Travis County and currently serves the greater Austin region and extends to Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Our Process

Step Onward collaborates with social workers from various referral partners to fill a gap in support for young adults and families striving on a path to stability. This includes gaps in housing, education, food, transportation and health and wellness.

Our team begins with an initial review of each funding request and referral application. Through discussions with referring organizations and individuals, we strive to fully understand each situation and need to determine if we are a good fit. Every request is considered without discrimination on race, gender, religion, sexuality, or nationality.

Young Adults

Partner with social workers from local agencies to fill a gap in the scope of services offered by these agencies in serving young adults who have experienced childhood homelessness or housing insecurity

Young adults who have typically aged out of the foster care system and/or other non-profit programs and are trying to make it on their own with little or no family support

These individuals have the motivation and dreams of pursuing their high school equivalency, trade school or higher education

Walk alongside these young adults as they pursue their education goals and other forms of career preparation to ensure that they have the financial support, sound guidance, and encouragement needed to achieve their goals

Mentorship, if needed, to help choose an appropriate educational path in higher learning, trade schools and certifications or navigate various resources

Gap funding to be used to pay for student housing, tuition, trauma informed counseling, and buying food, books and/or computers

Long term investment and relationship, but seeing these young adults through to graduation and contributing to society has immense long term benefits

Families

Partner with social workers from local area hospitals to support families facing extreme economic hardships due to a child being critically or terminally ill

Families who are most often hourly wage earners and have lost hours - which often leads to loss of their job - to be in the hospital or be the primary caregiver of their child

Majority are single mother households who have exhausted their financial resources and are now at risk of losing their home and are struggling to feed themselves and their children

Provide emergency short-term funding and eviction intervention within 48 hours to keep these families housed and fed, so they can focus on what’s most important - their family - without the stress of when they’ll get their next meal or where they’ll sleep that night

Gap funding for housing, food security, utilities, trauma informed counseling and transportation

Funding for families with a critically ill child can be up to 3-4 months, but is typically 1-2 months, long enough to help them get back on their feet

The costs of eviction are exponentially higher to families and communities than preventing it in the first place

Everyone deserves a chance at a full, dignified life.

Empowering young adults and families with hope and healing is done one intentional step at a time.

Your support can transform lives and strengthen families.

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