Deborah is a coach-wife, mother of three, and our fearless, native Austinite leader. She co-founded SGM with a desire to provide a loving, inclusive, and safe organization for individuals experiencing homelessness to make lasting changes and relationships.
"My hope for SGM is that every single person who comes in contact with our organization feels loved, encouraged, and supported to make whatever changes they want for their lives. That support can look different for each of our guests, as everyone has different dreams and hopes for their life. But no one will have to do it alone or do it without their SGM family backing them the entire time." -Deborah
Alli is a military-wife, mother of three, and our fierce Google searching, connection maker. She co-founded SGM with the goal of easing some of the burden of homelessness in the Austin area as well as providing a sense of community for our guests.
"For me, it is not just about giving those without a home a place to belong. It's about truly becoming a home of its very own, as we strive to all become a true family unit. That family unit is forever: no matter where any of us are in our day-to-day lives or struggles. We provide support and an unconditional family unit for our people". -Alli
Pastor James & Cathy help run all facility operations and help coordinate all our amazing volunteers. They have lived in Austin since 1992 and have been serving their community together ever since. They are founding members of SGM, which was originally inspired by a sermon series Pastor James preached in 2019.
"Where the state sees a crisis and the city sees a problem, we see people. Our heart is to love ALL our neighbors the way Christ asked us too (Gal. 5:14). We demonstrate this love through our service with SGM." -Pastor James & Cathy
Chris is local born, music loving, Marine Corp veteran married to the love of his life, Jasmin, who is also a faithful SGM volunteer and Marine Corp veteran. He has a passion for sharing SGM's heart and mission through running our social media accounts.
"Generation after generation have sought proof of God's existence. Solid Ground Ministry is it. Through unconditional means, God displays His unconditional love to those used to getting nothing but the cold shoulder. Stepping onto these grounds, you can't help but feel different: to act different, to love different. This ministry brings peace and love to those living in a world full of pain and discomfort. And it changes lives. This is why I do what I do and why I am passionate about what we do here." -Chris