One Voice Central Texas

Congratulations to Dan Leal, CEO of the Seedling Foundation, and Christian Rodriguez, Executive Director of the Trinity Center Austin, for receiving $80k each in grant awards from Impact Austin!

Dan and Christian are both dedicated One Voice members, evidenced by their participation in activities such as the Buddy Program. OVCT's Buddy Program pairs nonprofit leaders with peers in their community, promoting learning from one another. Since its inception, the program has paired over 100 members, and it continues to forge connections today.

In 2023, Dan and Christian were paired as "buddies." In 2026, we celebrate the two standing together as grant award recipients! We are honored to have watched this journey and can't wait to celebrate all of the successes to come.

As Impact Austin prepared to announce 2026 grant awards, President Claudia Barlow remarked, "Each of these six organizations is doing this work at a time when the people they serve need support more than ever while funding is constrained.

"Tonight, we show that you don’t have to be a millionaire or a well-funded foundation to make a meaningful difference in your community. Through the power of collective giving, we’re showing what happens when a few hundred women with a commitment to supporting our neighbors come together."

Claudia Pegues Barlow Capital Area Counseling EGBI Business Accelerator The Refugee Collective Casa Marianella Seedling Trinity Center Austin

Laura Elmore LeBlanc, CEO of the Sobering Center and One Voice Past Chair, was recently featured on the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health's podcast, Re-Imagining Justice. Laura shares her insights about her work at the center. You can listen to the full episode here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1SFuRjvbbonqMigVBXJGCc?si=Xm_nw6N8SBScdD50oePR8Q

The Sobering Center with Laura Elmore LeBlanc Reimagining Justice: Exploring Texas Innovations in Mental Health · Episode

For the past several months, One Voice members have met with individual City of Austin Government City Council Members to discuss the role that social service funding plays in supporting the infrastructure of public health in the Austin area.

On May 28, One Voice Chair Dr. Rosamaria Murillo penned a letter to all City Council members explicitly laying out five crucial Asks for the City to take into consideration during FY27 budget decisions. We are proud to announce that this advocacy has culminated in written support and prioritization from Council Members.

At the time of this posting (Updated 06/16/26), Council Member José Velásquez, Council Member Ryan Alter, CM Krista Laine, Council Member Mike Siegel, District 7, Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, District 9, and Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes have signed on to support this advocacy. One Voice extends our deepest gratitude to these Council Members.

We are excited and moved by our members' advocacy efforts and we will continue to uplift these wins. You can find Dr. Murillo's full letter and related links to articles on our website by following the link below:

https://onevoicecentraltx.org/issues/ovct-letter-regarding-fy27-city-budget/