Connection
Supporting parents, strengthening communities
Over the past two years, ALAS has been filling a critical service gap by supporting Latine families in Travis, Bastrop, Williamson, and surrounding counties in Central Texas with peer-led educational workshops, culturally-grounded care, and one-on-one trauma-informed support.
Mission
ALAS is by and for Latine families in Central Texas. Through Acción (Action), Liderazgo (Leadership), Apoyo (Support), and Superación (Advancement), we empower Latine families in Central Texas to navigate every phase of parenting with dignity, culturally grounded connection, and continuous community-led support.
Vision
We envision a world in which Latine families in Central Texas transform adversity into healing, build resilience, and cultivate leadership—creating communities and families that are strong, connected, and empowered.
The ALAS story
Why we do what we do
ALAS emerged in direct response to the intersecting crises faced by Latine families in Central Texas: Rising housing costs, economic vulnerability, and persistent racial and language discrimination.
Many of our community members were navigating pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, while also contending with displacement, legal issues, and low-wage, high-risk jobs. ALAS was created by and for these families.
Our founding director, Lourdes Kaman brings over three decades of experience working alongside Latine families across phases of life —organizing, teaching, and holding space for intergenerational healing.
Drawing from both lived and professional experience, she developed programming rooted in community-grounded principles, designed to fill critical service gaps identified through community needs assessments.
The Latine Population in Central Texas
Latine Demographic
Latinos are the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in Central Texas, representing more than 33% of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. On the state level, Latinos make up about 39% of the population of Texas.
Economic Hardship
Latine families often have low-wage jobs or are facing unemployment, which leads to housing instability, food insecurity, and limited access to essential resources. The high cost of living in Central Texas exacerbates these challenges.
Access to Services
Language barriers, lack of knowledge about available services, and in some cases, ineligibility for government assistance mean that people in our community often lack access to healthcare, quality education, and mental health resources.
Mental Health and Trauma
Many Latine parents in Central Texas have experienced trauma, which can manifest as anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating. Limited access to culturally competent mental health services contributes to the problem.
Limited or no health insurance
Latine families are much more likely to be living without health insurance. In Texas, 24% of Latinos don’t have insurance, compared to 13% of the general population.