Empowering Austin: Community Initiatives Making a Difference

Empowering Austin: Community Initiatives Making a Difference

Austin thrives on the active participation of its residents in community-driven initiatives. Several organizations are at the forefront, creating opportunities for Austinites to engage, support, and uplift one another.

Speak Up Austin

The City of Austin’s online platform, Speak Up Austin, invites residents to share ideas and participate in conversations that shape city policies and plans. This initiative emphasizes accessibility, accountability, and collaboration, ensuring that all voices are heard and respected in the decision-making process. Residents can join boards or commissions, report issues via Austin 3-1-1, or volunteer through various city programs. Learn more.

Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA)

GAVA is a community-driven movement focused on breaking down barriers to healthy living and strengthening neighborhood stability in Austin’s Eastern Crescent. By organizing and mobilizing community power, GAVA aims to reduce health disparities and promote equitable access to resources. Their vision is a future where factors like neighborhood, income, race, and language do not predict health outcomes. Learn more.

We Can Now

Dedicated to ending homelessness with care and compassion, We Can Now provides immediate relief and long-term solutions to those facing homelessness and food insecurity in Austin. Founded by individuals who have experienced these hardships firsthand, the organization offers direct services, diversion strategies, and community support to empower individuals toward stability and independence. Learn more.

Amplify Austin Day

As Central Texas’s largest giving event, Amplify Austin Day unites residents in a 24-hour fundraising effort supporting over 700 local nonprofits. Since its inception in 2013, the event has raised over $130 million, showcasing the community’s commitment to philanthropy and collective impact. Learn more.

These initiatives exemplify the spirit of community engagement in Austin, offering residents diverse avenues to contribute, connect, and create positive change in their neighborhoods.