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Travis County Alliance Helps Women with Housing Stability and Support
By Alisa Pierce

TCMA Housing

For over a decade, serving Austin-area women and children has been a cornerstone of outreach for the Travis County Medical Alliance (TCMA), as they help families achieve housing stability and self-sufficiency.

TCMA is now in its 15th year partnering with Saint Louise House, an Austin-based nonprofit organization whose mission empowers single mothers and their children to overcome homelessness two generations at a time by providing up to four years of affordable housing, personalized case management, and wraparound support services.

“The alliance has been historically women, so the work of a woman-centered nonprofit resonates really deeply with so many of the members,” said former TCMA President & current Vice President of Philanthropy with Saint Louise House, Berenice Craig. “Saint Louise House’s mission hits home for so many of us. We’ve just fallen in love with serving our community this way.”

Since 2011, TCMA members have dedicated countless hours to bolstering Saint Louise House’s efforts, volunteering multiple times a year to provide meals, coordinate donations, and host community events to raise money for the organization.

One of the most significant ways the alliance helps Saint Louise House is by participating in a complete apartment installation each year for new mothers and their children moving into the organization’s program. With the help of member donations, TCMA has gifted these women-led families every detail needed to create a new home for families exiting homelessness. This includes cookware to toothbrushes, often filling pantries with staple foods and children’s rooms with toys. 

Through these donations, the alliance provides “literally everything a mother would need to move into a home and have a livable space for her and her children,” Ms. Craig said.   
 
“For a family coming out of a really difficult situation, walking into a fully set up home brings comfort, stability, and a true fresh start. That only happens because people show up the way [they] did. It was really special to see everyone come together for something bigger than themselves. Every single item, every bit of time, and every donation made a difference," said Chair of the Travis Alliance Committee Jemy Kim.

In addition to its volunteer efforts, TCMA annually raises money for Saint Louise House and other organizations through the alliance’s Party with a Purpose event. Each year, the gala-style gathering brings the medical community together to raise money and award financial grants to local organizations that enhance the health of central Texans.

Last year, TCMA raised $50,000, and gave $10,000 to Saint Louise House.

“This work is one of those things that just changes your heart,” Ms. Craig told Texas Medicine Today. “Setting up a safe space for a mother and her children who’ve been living on the streets or otherwise … is one of those real Santa Claus kinds of moments. It’s a beautiful and life-changing experience.”

Interested in volunteering at Saint Louise House? Email info@saintlouisehouse.org to get involved. For more information about the Texas Medical Association Alliance, check out the organization’s website.

Last Updated On

June 23, 2026

Originally Published On

June 16, 2026

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TMA Alliance

Alisa Pierce

Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing

(512) 370-1469
alisa.pierce[at]texmed[dot]org  
Alisa Pierce

Alisa Pierce is a reporter for Texas Medicine. After graduating from Texas State University, she worked in local news, covering state politics, public health, and education. Alongside her news writing, Alisa covered up-and-coming artists in Central Texas and abroad as a music journalist. As a Texas native, she enjoys capturing the landscape on her film camera while hiking her way across the Lonestar State.

More stories by Alisa Pierce  

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