The Charlie Center

10/08/2026

Our own Facilities Boss, Mighty Mouse, sat down with Alan Graham on his "Gospel con Carne" podcast. Tune in to hear Mighty's story! https://mlf.org/from-the-streets-to-a-life-of-service-with-my-neighbor-john/

09/11/2026

We are thankful to be a 2026 recipient of a Food and Climate Equity award from the City of Austin! These funds will support our efforts to provide fresh home-cooked meals to over 450 people experiencing homelessness each week. 💜 Austin Climate Action and Resilience

09/07/2026

Meet Mark.

I've known Mark a long time but hadn't seen him for 2 years, to be exact. So when a debit card arrived for him in the mail, I set it aside. (Full disclosure, I couldn't remember if I misplaced it or threw it away).

"Hi Leah, do you have my debit card?" Mark asked. I grimaced. "Oh, no. I remember it coming in. I think I threw it away. I'm so sorry. We hadn't seen you in so long." In talking to him, though, I discovered that he was getting only a fraction of the monthly amount he was due from Social Security according to his age.

I then texted my best friend at the Social Security Administration. After a few swipes on his computer, my friend texted back: "Mark is entitled much more than he is currently receiving. His income will more than double on his next payment and he doesn't need to do a thing!"

To say Mark was happy is an understatement. He not only forgave me for ahem...losing his debit card, but he declared that he would name his first granddaughter after me! I can guarantee that his life will be more stable with his increase in income.

07/17/2026

We are honored to be nominated for an Impact Award with the Central Texas Community Foundation. We'd appreciate your vote for The Charlie Center!

We are thrilled to announce that The Charlie Center has been selected as a finalist for the Central Texas Community Foundation Impact Award!

Cast your vote and learn more about all of this year's inspiring Legacy Luncheon finalists. Community voting is open through August 21.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S3PH9JV

Providing compassionate support to individuals experiencing homelessness, The Charlie Center creates a welcoming environment where every person is treated with dignity and respect. The organization helps clients access resources, navigate challenges, and build meaningful connections while fostering a sense of belonging within the community. Staff and volunteers greet clients by name, assist first-time visitors, answer questions, and provide support during medical emergencies and crisis situations, helping individuals feel safe, informed, and valued. By combining practical assistance with genuine compassion, The Charlie Center helps individuals experiencing homelessness find stability and hope while strengthening the broader Central Texas community.

Join us in congratulating The Charlie Center on this well-deserved recognition!

07/06/2026

As we all know, summer in Texas is HOT. 🥵 Most of us spend as little time as possible outside during the heat of the day and run from our air-conditioned car into our air-conditioned homes or work spaces. Our homeless community does not have that option. We are thankful for partners like JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation that bring joy and cold lemonade to The Charlie Center. Thanks for investing in keeping our clients cool this summer! JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation

05/31/2026

I've posted about my friend Carl before. He lived at end of a winding path in a camp in the woods. He was caked in soot, head to toe, because of the constant campfire he burned inside his tent. At 72 years old, though, he felt he was too old to be in the woods any longer. We moved him into a tiny home of his own at Community First Village. I asked him what he was most looking forward to and he replied, "I don't have to burn no more wood." Thankfully, his wood burning days were over. The transformation in his physical appearance was stunning when he reappeared at Charlie not too long ago. Today, I am sad to report that Carl has passed away. I am so thankful that he had 2 years of indoor living. 2 years of heated and conditioned air at the flip of a switch... 2 years of well-deserved rest and community. Rest in peace, Carl.

05/03/2026

The Charlie Center was honored to receive an incredibly generous grant this past week from the Leading Ladies Giving Circle, part of The Central Texas Community Foundation. We are so excited about this new partnership and are so thankful for their support of our good work in the homeless community! Central Texas Community Foundation

04/30/2026

Today at Charlie, this good girl alerted us that her human was having seizures. We were able to call EMS and her human received life-saving care. 💜🐾

03/21/2026

Henri gets a home!

03/21/2026

Yesterday would have been Charlie's 77th birthday. And his hope was to move out off the streets and into a home at Community First! Village. Sadly, Charlie never got to realize that dream. But we honored Charlie's dream by moving Henri into a home last week.

Henri is a hardworking immigrant from Belgium who became a naturalized citizen. He is intelligent, well-spoken, and funny. He is a musician and loves the Beatles. Due to an accident, he lost part of his leg and his savings and was forced to begin living in his car. Initially ashamed of his downward trajectory, he later decided to come to The Charlie Center for help.

The only sad things about this move-in is that we will miss seeing Henri at Charlie--he is the favorite of many! What an honor it was to serve such a strong, resilient man! 💜