HISTORY & IMPACT

HISTORY

The South Texas Alliance for Orphans was created by a group of foster/adopt industry veterans including our Founder and Executive Director, church leaders, foster/adopt families and child placing agency professionals in 2012 under the name San Antonio Alliance for Orphans. We met monthly for 2 years collaborating on how we, the church, could unite and fulfill our biblical call to care for children in the foster/adopt system.

A small team including our Executive Director, a board member and a small team of foster parents successfully launched a ministry at their church and started handing off the model to other churches desiring to see ministry happen in their church.

Over the years, our Executive Director gleaned wisdom from other area models across the state and nation like Fostering Hope Austin, Embrace Texas, Hope Fort Worth, Project 127, Promises 686 and Christian Alliance for Orphans. In 2015, the name of the Alliance was changed to more adequately represent the region we serve of South Texas.

In September of 2016, First Presbyterian granted the Alliance seed money to launch as a DBA non-profit. The Alliance received their 501c3 designation in July of 2018. The Alliance is now poised to serve and equip a collaborative church movement to solve the foster crisis from family crisis to youth aging out.

IMPACT

AGENCIES & NONPROFITS WORKING TOGETHER

CHURCHES CURRENTLY INVOLVED

476

FOSTER FAMILIES SUPPORTED

1500

INDIVIDUALS ACTIVATED TO SERVE

“I am the Alliance because you not only support kids and families but also caseworkers doing the work.”

Kimberely Hill - Faith Based and Community Engagement

The Alliance has helped us as a foster/adopt group feel more connected to the larger Foster/adopt community beyond our church. We benefit from what other churches are doing, we benefit from the trainings and speakers other churches host. We in turn can support others in the community by making sure they know when we have training or speakers to benefit their families. We truly are all better together. The Alliance makes that possible.

LAURA HUEY - Ministry Leader, Crossbridge Church

The foster care world tends to function as a bunch of isolated entities. The Alliance has stepped in as the hub, providing resources, connecting people, and helping us to be more impactful without being bogged down recreating the wheel. And they do it very, very well.

DANNI SPRINGFIELD - Ministry Leader, University United Methodist Church

“I am the Alliance because I’m a grandmother raising five grandchildren and we work together to empower grandparents as they are raising their grandchildren.”

Mercedes Bristol - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE THRU PROJECT

DFPS (Department of Family and Protective Services) supports the Alliance initiative that will provide much needed respite for foster families who need qualified caretakers.

ERICA BANUELOS - CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES