Update:
The Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation (DAA) is donating $100,000 of its own funds to the Rathgeber Center, a new Salvatioon Army run, temporary emergency shelter for women with children, as well as families. But the Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation’s work has just began as their donation was the start of $500,000 fundraising campaign.
The Center is expected to open in the fall, but doesn’t have enough money to run at 100{211d4eaff5f6ab776b9f468c919065fc3aae4df093916ddbc4a838f2fb9137eb}. Ausitn City Council has set aside $1-million to help with the shelter’s operating costs but until Monday morning (September 9th) a $500,000 funding gap remained.
So Austin area Philanthropist Dick Rathgerber, who helped finance the $12-million dollar construction, threw down a $100,000 challenge to the DAA. If the DAA can raise the rest of the funds for the shelter’s operating costs, they can keep his check. The DAA accepted the challenge, so with the DAA and Rathergerber’s donations, the fundraiser only needs $300,000 more to collect before all is said and done.
The Salvation Army explained with the expantions of services made the the center so has the budget needed to keep up with operations, all together they are short about $1-million.
You can help by donating, just follow the link and make sure to Specify Rathgerber Center Challenge: Downtown Austin Alliance Rathgerber Challenge
Original:
On Monday, city leaders, philanthropists, and the Downtown Austin Alliance will join the Salvation Army in kicking off a fundraising campaign for the new Rathgeber Center in East Austin. Once in full operation, the newly built center at 4613 Tannehill Lane will offer 212 beds.
The overwhelming majority of Austin’s homeless population is comprised of men, which leaves very few shelter options for women and children. The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless provides daytime services for both men and women, but at night, only men are allowed to sleep inside, only highlighting the need for more shelter space across the city.
“Once we can get that shelter fully functional, fully operational at the 212 bed capacity, that should, theoretically, free up shelter space downtown,” Kristi Samilpa with Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office said last month.
According to the Salvation Army, the downtown shelter houses an average of 242 people every night.
City Manager Spencer Cronk , Mayor Steve Adler, Council Member Kathie Tovo, local philanthropist Dick Rathgeber, and representatives from the Salvation Army and Downtown Austin Alliance Foundation will all be on-hand for the fundraiser’s kickoff.
The shelter is still on-pace to open its doors by the fall, but it faces an operational budget of $4.9-million. The city’s proposed fiscal year 2019-20 Budget only includes $1-million in one-time funding towards providing services at the Rathgeber Center, plus an additional $500,000 for the expansion of homeless services at the Salvation Army’s downtown shelter. Additional funds will be needed to keep the Rathgeber Center fully operational in subsequent years, the city says.
(Credit: Salvation Army)
