Help us care for the people who care for our community.

Through the Maternal Health Equity Collaborative (MHEC), community-based organizations across Central Texas provide families with free doula care, midwifery services, childcare, childbirth education, and other forms of perinatal support.

Behind those services are birth and care workers who show up for families during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond. But the people who provide care sometimes need support themselves. Community birth work can mean unpredictable income, unpaid time away from work, and gaps between clients. An illness, family emergency, or unexpected expense can quickly create financial strain.

That's why MHEC created the Gap Fund, a direct cash assistance fund that supports birth workers, childcare providers, and other care workers within our network during periods of financial need.

Each quarter, the Gap Fund is depleted within days.

This year, after responding to additional emergency needs in our community, MHEC does not currently have enough funding to open the Gap Fund for the final quarter of 2026.

For MHEC's birthday, we're asking our broader community to help us change that.

What happens when a community gives $5?

This campaign started with a simple idea: small contributions can become significant when a community gives together.

$5 from 100 people is $500.
$5 from 500 people is $2,500.
$5 from 1,000 people is $5,000.

We're not asking a few people to give a lot. We're asking many people to give what they can.

Maybe you received support from an MHEC member organization. Maybe someone you love did. Maybe you're a birth worker, a parent, a neighbor, or simply someone who believes families should have access to safe, supportive perinatal care—and that the people providing that care should be supported, too.

There is a place for you in this effort.

Every donation to this campaign will go toward replenishing the MHEC Gap Fund and helping us reopen the fund one more time before the end of the year.

For years, birth workers, doulas, midwives, childcare providers, and community organizations within the MHEC network have helped make care accessible to families regardless of their ability to pay.

Sustaining that work also means caring for the people who provide it.

If you can give $5, we invite you to give $5. If you can give $25, $50, or more, your contribution brings us closer to reopening the Gap Fund. And if a donation isn't possible right now, sharing this campaign with your family, friends, and community helps us reach someone who may be able to contribute.

Whether you have received services from an MHEC organization, love someone who has, or simply believe in the work, we're grateful to have you as part of the community that makes this care possible.

Give what you can. Share with someone you know. Help us care for the people who care for our community.

Care is Reciprocal

Help us replenish the Gap Fund and care for the people who care for our families.