AUSTIN, Texas — Every Sunday, 34-year-old Anthony Jackson visits a homeless camp in Austin. Jackson sets up support stations filled with everyday essentials like food, water and clothing.
“These are everyday people. This is your sister, this is your mom, your cousin, your brother that is out here. Most people don’t understand they are two or three paychecks away from being homeless,” said Jackson.
Jackson formed the nonprofit “We Can Now” to help individuals experiencing homelessness get off of their feet and back into society.
It’s a cause that’s true to his heart as he recalls his personal account of being unhoused at a young age.
“My mother had me at 16 years old. She moved to Austin trying to make that jump, but she could never make it. So we were in a bunch of hotels from time to time — cars, abandoned buildings, Salvation Army, women’s shelters and then when I finished college in 2013, I was homeless as an adult,” said Jackson.
With the Texas Legislature passing a state-wide camping ban, Jackson believes getting resources to those experiencing homelessness should be a priority. He’s doubling down with "We Can Now" on efforts to be a part of what he calls a solution, that includes transitional housing and employment opportunities.
“When I was homeless as a youth, my mother had a job, she had a car and she was doing all that she can as a single parent and we were still homeless,” recalled Jackson.
Sean Joseph Hefner has been living in an Austin encampment for over two years, actively seeking employment wherever he can get it.
“I sat on the corner and every pickup truck I saw with a bucket or a shovel I stopped them and asked them for work, and in over a year I picked up three jobs,” said Hefner.
Hefner believes the work he was able to get on occasion was only temporary because of logistics and transportation disparities.
These are resources Jackson feels is crucial to get people experiencing homeless back in society.
“Anything that strengthens us, anything that empowers us — that makes us better, we can do it, for sure, and we’re out here showing that,” said Jackson.