Step Onward Foundation

We believe support works best if it's offered before things fall apart.

Not after a family's eviction. Not after a student is forced to drop out.

In the moment when things could still go either way.

That’s where Step Onward focuses—providing support that keeps a temporary crisis from becoming something harder to recover from.

$2,000 doesn’t sound life changing.

Until it keeps a family housed through a child’s medical crisis.

It keeps the lights on.
Keeps the rent paid.
Keeps gas in the car so a parent gets to work.
Keeps children in their beds.
Keeps a family from starting over with nothing.

This is what early intervention looks like.

Join us September 13 for the Love Is Home Gala benefiting Step Onward Foundation.

Thank you to our 2026 Title Sponsor, United Heritage Credit Union. 💛

Love Is Home isn't just the name of our gala.

It's what happens when a community shows up for families facing impossible circumstances.

Every ticket purchased.
Every sponsor.
Every auction bid.
Every person in the room.

Together, they help keep families housed through a child's medical crisis and help young adults build stable futures.

Join us September 13.

📅 Love Is Home Gala
🔗 https://steponward.org/gala/

Presented by United Heritage Credit Union

Over the past few weeks, many of us have joined in celebrations for our favorite graduates.

We've attended ceremonies, taken photos, and shared tears of joy.

What we don't always see are the foundations that made those moments possible.

A safe place to sleep.
A stable address.
Reliable transportation.

Only 55–60% of youth experiencing homelessness graduate high school.

Compare that to 90% of students who are stably housed.

That gap isn't about ability.

It's about stability.

When housing is uncertain, everything else is too.

With the right support at the right moment, young adults can stay in school, keep moving forward, and build independent futures.

Four days.⁠
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That's how much time Chandel's family had before a constable was scheduled to remove everything they owned from their apartment.⁠
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For the past 10 years, their family had navigated the challenges of having a child in ongoing medical care at Dell Children's Hospital. When both parents unexpectedly lost their jobs, they fell behind on rent and faced immediate eviction.⁠
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A local church stepped in to help, but it wasn't enough.⁠
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With just four days remaining, Step Onward provided $5,500 in emergency support to keep them housed.⁠
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This is why rapid intervention matters.⁠
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When support arrives in time, families stay housed. Children stay in school. Parents can focus on rebuilding. And a temporary crisis doesn't become long-term hardship. 💛

Thank you to Keller Williams for supporting the 2026 Love Is Home Gala as a Rising Sun Sponsor. 💛

Sponsors like Keller Williams help make early intervention possible for families facing housing instability, medical crisis, and financial hardship before those situations become homelessness.

We’re grateful for the businesses and community partners stepping forward to help strengthen support for Central Texas families and young adults.

A limited number of Rising Sun sponsorships are still available.

We’re excited to welcome Teresa Vazquez, our new master’s-level social worker, to the Step Onward team. 💛

As Step Onward continues to grow, this role allows us to deepen the personalized, human-centered care at the core of our mission and respond more effectively to families and young adults facing housing instability.

When a family is navigating a child’s medical crisis, housing instability can happen quickly. That’s why Step Onward provides both rapid financial assistance and ongoing case management before a short-term crisis becomes long-term homelessness.

Teresa works directly with families and young adults to assess urgent needs, connect individuals with resources, strengthen referral relationships, and provide support beyond immediate financial assistance.

“Teresa has already helped refine our intake process and deepen relationships with our community partners, allowing us to respond more effectively to urgent needs.” — Dr. Sam West, Executive Director

As demand continues to grow across Central Texas, this work helps more families remain housed, stable, and connected to care before a crisis escalates.

Learn more about our work: https://steponward.org/how-we-help/ -process

We’ve seen how close young adults from hardship come to dropping out.

Not because of tuition. Because they can’t stay housed.

They’re enrolled. They’re working. They’re doing everything right.

But without family support, there’s no margin for error.

That’s where we step in, so one setback doesn’t end their education.

Strong communities are built through partnership.

We’re deeply grateful to United Heritage Credit Union, our 2026 Love Is Home Gala Title Sponsor, for investing in housing stability and support for families and young adults in our community.

Partnerships like this help Step Onward Foundation step in before a crisis becomes homelessness.

Thank you for helping make this work possible. 💛