Salvation Army Travis County and Austin financial assistance programs.
Travis County and Austin families can contact the Salvation Army for assistance. The agency administers a wide range of resources for qualified families across central Texas. Some of those resources that are in highest demand include employment programs, free food, financial assistance, rent help, and homeless prevention. Case workers from the Salvation Army centers in the Austin region are available and committed to helping the less fortunate.
Veterans make up a disproportionate percentage of the homeless population. They face a number of hardships that aren’t faced by others due to their exposure to war. So the Salvation Army in Travis County is committed to providing assistance programs and other services for ex-military members and veterans. A focus is on housing and related services.
Comprehensive homeless prevention services are available for veterans in Travis County. The organization also partners with non-profits such as the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (CTVHCS) and counselors from the Fort Hood military base. Case managers provide shelter, short and medium-term housing assistance, and other aid. At the same time, social workers will also link clients to job training services, employment and/or educational programs. Many government programs are focused on helping veterans.
Employment Services Program are focused on people coming out of homelessness, and resources can assist them with reentering the workforce. A key to staying out of homelessness is stable employment. So the Salvation Army will offer a broad array of services, and the resources are offered to help job seekers of different work history and skill levels.
Participants in these job training programs receive group workshops and sessions in job readiness and they can also receive individual assistance with all aspects of job search and resume reviews. Short term housing is offered to in the form of an extension in shelter residency. It provides newly employed single adults the time to work on a savings plans and allows them time to continue to search for housing.
The Austin Shelter for Women and Children as well as the Social Service Center provides access to computer labs for resume writing as well as on-line job search. Case managers and specialists will play an active role assisting with employment readiness. They will also help link and refer residents to non-profit agencies in the greater Austin Texas community to further support their job search.
Grants and/or financial assistance is provided (on a limited basis) for low income and qualified individuals with a housing crisis. It is offered from Family Services and other programs. Funds can help pay rent, security deposits deposit, utilities, and other related housing needs and expenses. Additional assistance is available for families related to credit repair, affordable child care, housing placement, one-time car repairs, and other transportation. One on one attention is offered too from regular home/office visits, and this will occur with the Salvation Army case manager. People may be able to register for continued services.
As indicated, the primary goal is to provide clients with information on and access to resources that help them transition into stable housing, find a job, and gain increased income levels. Many of the Family Services provided to low-income families and individuals in Austin Texas include rental assistance, emergency food support, lodging, clothing, furniture, and transportation assistance. Even free fans may be offered during the hot summer months. Find more information on how to get Travis County programs that help with rent.
Food pantries are also available in Travis County. Each of the Salvation Army Family Services Centers contain a food bank that helps the needy, and that also works with local nonprofit organizations, food wholesalers, and other locations.
Holiday and seasonal services – During Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas the number of requests to the Salvation Army increases. So the agency runs holiday programs, and this includes utility payment assistance, back to school supplies, Easter basket distribution, Mother’s Day baskets, Adopt-A-Family, free Christmas toy & food distributions, and Angel Tree.
Other holiday programs available in Austin include Thanksgiving meals and Christmas programs. Every year hundreds of families receive a hot meal from the Salvation Army. The growing trend in Austin and Travis County is that more free food is becoming available during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons by local charity organizations and churches. Also, the organization is all about helping children, the low income, and seniors during the holiday season. One way they do this is from the Angel Tree program, which gives thousands of gifts, toys, and clothing items to children.
The Red Shield Lodge and Social Services Center will provide shelter and food. Hundreds of meals are served every day. Resources at this center help a number of different people, including the unemployed, veterans, seniors, and the working poor. The center has a community clinic, veterans outreach, and job finding programs. A job transitional program is even available for people who are newly employed. The Salvation Army center also partners with local churches and charities in the region.
Salvation Army Austin Shelter for Women and Children focuses on helping women and their children. Not only are beds available, but social workers will assist with financial planning, job acquisition, and counseling. After-school tutoring and transportation to local schools is provided for children and students. A licensed child-care center for homeless children is available too.
They work with clients to link them to long-term housing opportunities. Clients, while they are working on their self-sufficiency goals with their assigned case manager, have the option of staying in residences between thirty to ninety days. The city funds the program; the county provides the property; and The Salvation Army operates the program.
Passages Collaboration is another program for the homeless and people on the verge of eviction. Five Travis County Texas organizations work together with the Salvation Army to coordinate housing and supportive services for homeless single adults and families.
The organizations that help include Foundation for the Homeless, Caritas of Austin, LifeWorks and SafePlace. The program provides up to 18 months of case management and advice to participants utilizing transitional housing. The program also offers a number of other supportive services including life skills training, subsidized child care, financial assistance, grants and mental health/substance abuse counseling.
Some of the services offered include Outreach. Case management and a self-sufficiency plan will be created, and gain access to Passages Supportive Services. Financial advice and budgeting classes are offered.
Tenant Based Rental Assistance is also available in Austin Texas, and the Salvation Army can help people apply. Clients of this program can remain in their unit or move to other permanent housing after the federal government subsidy ends. Clients who move directly from short term shelter to permanent housing receive emergency financial assistance with housing start-up expenses and also can receive up to six months of follow-up case management.
The Family Service program may have available a HUD grant that offers case management, transitional housing, and education/job training for people who have lived in emergency shelter. The Salvation Army help clients stabilize. Continue with learning more on Texas employment programs.
Applying to Salvation Army programs in Austin area
The rent assistance/Rapid Rehousing programs provides clients with short term child care assistance, cash assistance with paying for housing and security deposits. Other aid can be funds to pay for work-related clothing and supplies, training and certification, and help people obtain legal documents. Family Services are offered from the following locations.
- 501 East 8th Street Austin, Texas 78701, (512) 476-1111
- 1001 Cumberland Rd, Austin, TX 78704, call (512) 442-3212
- 4523 Tannehill Lane, Austin, Texas 78721-1732, phone number (512) 933-0600
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