Austin Mayor Proclaims “Child Wellbeing Zone Day” as Upbring Hosts Back to School Celebration in Rundberg Area
Skating event brings families and partners together to support Austin’s first Child Wellbeing Zone
AUSTIN, TX, August 13, 2025 – Just three months after launching Austin’s first Child Wellbeing Zone in the Rundberg neighborhood, Upbring brought families together for a Back to School Skate celebration at Pins & Wheels on August 7. The free event welcomed over 200 community members, including 122 skaters, and featured more than 100 donated backpacks and over 25 on-site volunteers. That same day, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson issued a proclamation declaring August 7, 2025 as Child Wellbeing Zone Day, recognizing the Rundberg Zone’s role in advancing the city’s vision to make Austin the best place in the country for kids.
While the proclamation was issued separately by Mayor Watson, it reflected the City’s commitment to child wellbeing and commended Upbring’s role in bringing the Zone to Austin. The official language reads in part:
“Every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a safe, stable and nurturing community—one that fosters their potential, strengthens families and builds pathways to lifelong wellbeing.”
“We are deeply grateful to Mayor Watson and the City of Austin for recognizing the Rundberg Child Wellbeing Zone and the collective work of so many partners who believe in creating the best possible future for our children,” said Mike Loo, President and CEO of Upbring. “This proclamation affirms the importance of coming together as a community to ensure every child grows up safe, supported and thriving.”
The proclamation further commends Upbring, a Texas-based nonprofit with a 150-year legacy of serving and protecting children, for launching Austin’s first Child Wellbeing Zone—building on the success of its inaugural Zone in South Dallas. It highlights the Zone’s place-based model, which begins by surrounding a single family with coordinated care and services, then expands block by block to offer supports such as parenting resources, mental and behavioral health screenings, housing assistance, workforce readiness and educational engagement. Guided by VectorScape, a data-driven mapping tool that pinpoints areas of highest need and opportunity, the initiative ensures targeted and impactful support for children and families.
The free skate event featured resource tables from community partners including Dream Together 2030, The PFaith House, Life Anew Restorative Justice, Saffron Trust, Joyce James Consulting, Jail to Jobs and Harvest Family Life of Dallas. Additional supporters included Pins and Wheels, Christopher Davis Photo and Corey Hopkins. Together, they offered community resources, provided backpacks and school supplies, captured the event through photography and video and helped spread the word through flyer distribution. Working alongside local residents and grassroots leaders, they are co-designing the Rundberg Zone to ensure it meets the neighborhood’s unique needs and builds on its strengths.
“The most important thing we can do is work together, because no one has all the answers,” said Sherwynn Patton, President of Dream Together 2030. “By partnering with other organizations that provide resources we may not have, we create a win for the community. We’re not doing something for the community — we’re coming alongside it, treating residents as valuable partners in healing, restoration and transformation. Dream Together 2030 works in alignment with Upbring’s vision by serving as a container that connects great organizations like Jail to Jobs, Life Anew and many others doing incredible work here in Austin.”
“We know young people need more than just their basic needs met to truly thrive,” said Andjoua McLemore, Upbring’s Director of Community Partnerships. “This celebration wasn’t about checking a box — it was about creating memories. Along with distributing more than 100 backpacks to the Rundberg community, we gathered at Pins and Wheels to give families a chance to have fun together and for kids to simply enjoy being kids.”
The Rundberg neighborhood was chosen not only for its urgent needs, but also for its history of resilience and community activism. The Zone is a shared investment in Central Texas’ future—rooted in local partnerships and driven by a belief in what’s possible when children and families are resourced, supported and believed in.
For more information about the Rundberg Child Wellbeing Zone or to get involved, visit Upbring.org.
About Upbring
Founded in 1860, Upbring is a Texas-wide organization implementing generational innovation to advance child wellbeing. We are the leaders in delivering a broad spectrum of life-restoring services that elevate and heal human beings in our communities. Intent on shifting perspectives and re-imagining current systems, our work secures a future free from the damages of abuse. Join us in our mission to break the cycle of child abuse by empowering children, families and communities.