Amanda Veasy
This interview is with Amanda Veasy, co-founder of One Love Longview, a nonprofit resource center for unsheltered, uninsured, and underserved populations. Amanda talks about the rapid rise of her organization as a response to community needs for accessible mental and physical health care. She describes the changes in her religious experiences over time, including being spurred to leave the church over her unwillingness to condemn the LGBTQ community. Amanda also talks about her methods of helping effectively by putting the individual’s desires and consent first.
Karen Thompson
This interview is with Karen Thompson, Pastor of Uprising Austin. Karen was an avid church go-er in Pflugerville and involved in youth work. She came out as lesbian during the process of becoming a minister and was eventually ordained in Metropolitan Community Churches, creating a safe space for the LGBTQ community. Speaking on the pandemic, Karen moved into the church for three months to make sure the food and clothes delivery services to Austin’s unsheltered population were able to continue. Now, Karen is in the process of founding a daycare for deaf infants and children as well as children from low socioeconomic backgrounds.