Search Results

We are celebrating a BIG win alongside many other organizations that loudly advocated for free bus rides for our unhoused neighbors. Without these voices, it is impossible to drive change in our community. Change that is greatly needed for our neighbors to meet basic needs. In partnership with the Transit Empowerment Fund and Capital Metro, as the work continues toward a free fare system, in the interim, Trinity Center has been granted a bulk number of 31-day passes for distribution! This means 31-days of transportation to potentially life changing appointments, jobs or employment opportunities, school, and other social services. It also means consistency and the removal of a barrier that so many have faced—not being able to get from point A to point B. While we are grateful to CapMetro and Transit Empowerment Fund to be one of the agencies that received a large sum of 31-day bus passes to distribute amongst our neighbors, we plan to continue being part of the discussion for permanent bus rides at no-cost.

William Day has joined Trinity Center as the Operations Coordinator. William will be overlooking the day-to-day activities of the center to help us effectively provide services to our neighbors. Before joining the Trinity Center staff, William worked as a bartender at The University of Texas Club. He was in charge of the communication between kitchen and front of house staff, inventory counts, and creating menus. William earned his Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Texas in 2020. During his field placement, he gained social work experience through the Goodwill Excel Program with the life coach team. He assisted students with setting goals and creating plans to achieve them to ultimately obtain their diplomas. While not at the center, William enjoys cooking, watching movies, photography, collecting records, and petting his 3-year-old domestic shorthair cat, Eve.

Trinity Center is excited to present our new Executive Director, Christian Rodriguez. Having begun in his new role August 1st, Christian will be leading our efforts to continue to advance the mission to serve our neighbors with compassion as Trinity Center has for the past 22 years. Christian will be replacing our retiring Executive Director, Irit Umani, who for the last 12 years made exceptional and transformational changes to Trinity Center, while also advocating, for the unhoused population in our city. Born and raised in El Paso, TX, Christian found his home in Austin in 2010 when he attended The University of Texas. In 2014, he began his journey with Trinity Center as an intern and graduated shortly thereafter with his degree in Social Work. His values and concern for issues of social justice, the diginity of others, servant leadership, unconditional love, and hospitality make him the perfect person to step into this role. Christian previously served Trinity Center for 4 years as our Operations Manager, ensuring that the work and daily services that benefit many ran smoothly. His knowledge of Trinity’s operations, as well as the visions he has for the organization’s future will provide a smooth transition. As Executive Director, Christian will work closely with the Trinity Center staff, board, and volunteers to continue to evolve and grow our services to our unhoused neighbors.

On July 10th, we were able to celebrate our amazing volunteers and the work they do at Trinity Center. Currently, we have a full team of 26 volunteers that come to the center Monday through Friday to serve breakfast, assemble outfits, check mail, man the front desk, and help folks get IDs and birth certificates. To date they have completed over 1,100 hours of service together since the beginning of 2021. Without the help of our team of volunteers we could not have helped folks get: 200+ id’s, 70+ driver's licenses, 300+ birth certificates, 20+ food handler’s certificates, 40+ long distance bus tickets, 20+ prescriptions, and over $25,000 in rent and utility help. We are immensely thankful to have such an amazing and dedicated group of folks that want to come back every week, especially through a global pandemic, to work alongside our staff in our missions to serve the spiritual, emotional, and physical needs of people experiencing homelessness and poverty in Austin.

Beginning on Monday, August 2nd, Trinity Center will resume dedicating Mondays to our woman neighbors! Along with the many mishaps that the Covid-19 pandemic brought along with it, the halt of this program was one of them. After closing our center, we were unsure of the direction of our different programs. However, with the center opening we have been able to bring back some programs, with the latest being our Woman-to-Woman program on Mondays! The Woman-to-Woman program was initiated in 2005 to provide a safe and secure place for women that experience homelessness. Our women neighbors are more vulnerable and experience greater risks than their male counterparts in the streets. Because of this, we have been eager to continue this program for all the neighbors that identify as a female.

As COVID cases lower and vaccination rates rise we are expanding our services. We hope things will continue on this route, we may get back to some sense of normalcy, and the center can operate as a community space once again in the near future. Currently we are in need of people to help at the front desk on weekdays from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The main duties are checking mail, offering hospitality, and other small tasks. We are strict about masks, keeping distance between folks, and disinfecting surfaces. Currently the number of people who are in the center is limited to around 10, although it varies. If you are fully vaccinated, ready and willing to serve, please email us at eunice.g@trinitycenteraustin.org and we can talk more! #readytoserve #drontdesk #volunteer

Since the beginning of the Shower Ministry, operated by St. Mark's Episcopal Church, it has invited women to shower in a safe and secure environment, without fear of being harmed and having their belongings stolen or damaged. Due to the uncertainties and health concerns that came with the covid-19 pandemic, we were forced to put a halt to this program for our women neighbors. Now, however, we are fortunate and happy to welcome the Shower Ministry back! The females of the center are able to sign up for a 20-minute shower every Tuesday at 9:30am. Hygiene products are provided and St. Mark's volunteers are available to continue ensuring a comfortable space.

Watch this thank you from ECHO and other communities partners regarding the coming together or the community and people from all over to help the city of Austin and those experiencing homeless during and in the aftermath of the winter storm. #snowmageddon2021 #response #thankyou