What TheBoots.org stands for and what we strive to do.
Escaping poverty among the physical barriers is difficult, but with the added emotional toll, it’s almost impossible. It’s not as simple as we’d like to think.
Terence Lester
TheBoots uplifts, supports, and provides aid in as many ways as we can to get impoverished and homeless citizens of Travis county back on to their feet and enjoying a higher quality of life. If people are going to say the homeless must pull themselves up by their bootstraps, we will be the ones to give them their boots and help them up.
We believe that no matter income or housing status, all humans deserve care, dignity and respect. A significant number of Austinites live close to the poverty line where one unexpected expense could push them into homelessness or insurmountable debt. Many homeless and impoverished people find themselves in their situations through no fault of their own and we will help them get their lives back on track.
Our Mission
To focus on the needs of individual impoverished Austinites and connect them with valuable resources establishing dignity and the ability to build a stable life.
Our Vision
Austin without homelessness.
Who we serve and our community
Austin and Travis county is home to over 1,290,000 people, but over 2000 people have no place to call home on any given day (source Austin ECHO). These people are living in situations ranging from couch surfing, to living out of cars, to staying in shelters, or even having nothing but a tent. We see their struggles any time we drive through the city or walk around downtown; people who have life attempting to strip them of their dignity and ability to contribute. People who may not know when or where their next clean drink of water, bite of food, shower, or place to lay their head may be.
Many end up in these situations by no real fault of their own. In the United States, most of our homeless population found themselves in unfortunate circumstances due to lack of support for veterans, being victims of domestic violence, suffering from inadequately treated mental illness, being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or having untreated addiction. Even more people live their lives one or two unexpected bills from loosing their access to food or housing.
Austin is a beautiful city with so much to offer; we want to see everyone in our community able to take advantage of this. Want to join us in our efforts? Sign up for our email blasts to stay in the loop about how to be involved with us or join us as a regular volunteer!