Mr. Traux is an author, software developer, and leader of a 200,000-person group dedicated to non-medical mental health and suicide prevention. He’s a problem solver at heart and deeply passionate about helping others. Yet, despite his skills, accomplishments, and resilience, one unexpected event changed his life entirely.
On December 20th, Mr. Traux’s car broke down in Savannah, Georgia. What started as a logistical setback soon became a fight for survival. He got invited to Austin with promises of support, but he found himself homeless for months. “I’m 42 and had never experienced anything like this,” he recalls. “It was either live or die, and I have no give-up in me.”
Seeking help, Mr. Traux connected with Front Steps and started the Coordinated Assessment process. At first, he didn’t realize how quickly the support could change his situation. But when his caseworker surprised him with a hotel room for 60 days, it marked the first real relief he had felt in nine months. “I could finally breathe for a second,” he says. That stability soon led to permanent housing.
To those who support Front Steps, Mr. Traux offers heartfelt gratitude: “You fine folks got me through a cycle I thought would never break. Amazing. Thank you.” His advice to the wider community is: “Have empathy! It costs nothing to be kind, and the effects are incredible. Be good to each other; the world needs better now, especially now.”