Harvest Trauma Recovery Center

Spoke as founder of the Saul Paul Foundation after recently losing his brother in a bicycle accident, emphasizing that healing requires professional support.

Urged the court to continue funding the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, noting that the loss of contract funding threatens vital mental health and trauma support services.

Shared personal experiences working with at-risk youth and unhoused individuals through the recovery center and emphasized the community safety impacts of losing the program.

Spoke about how the center helped him personally with mentorship and emotional growth and why it is a vital pillar in Austin.

Highlighted how the center serves victims of violence, abuse, and trauma, stating that cutting funding will lead to homelessness, incarceration, and community harm.

Described mentoring youth struggling with suicidal thoughts and family crisis who found hope through the foundation's counseling.

Emphasized that families walk through their doors daily seeking food, clothing, and mental health counseling that they cannot otherwise access.

Expressed support for the foundation's work assisting people with clothing, food, and family needs.

Shared her own past experience experiencing homelessness and how the foundation now acts as a vital helping hand for those in crisis.

Warned that losing Texas's first trauma recovery center would increase school disruptions, homelessness, and emergency service burdens.

Noted that adult and youth career certifications require healing from past trauma to be successful.

Described taking daily calls from individuals seeking counseling, food assistance, and crisis intervention.

Shared data and personal observations from the registration desk about families whose children gained confidence through foundation programs.

Spoke as an AmeriCorps VISTA member about mentoring youth with behavioral challenges and connecting them early to trauma support.

Shared a personal story of surviving suicidal ideation and losing a friend, urging the court to fund free mental health counseling.

Spoke as a licensed security officer at the foundation about seeing broken individuals restored after receiving therapy.

Shared that the city of Austin cannot renew their contract for the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, putting services at risk, and asked the county for additional resource support.