Texas Observer - Tyrant's Foe: Helping Homeless Kids

This article was written for the "Tyrant's Foe" section of the Texas Observer monthly print magazine.

I don’t like to take a lot of credit,” Will Hancock says, sitting on his white-and-burnt-orange leather University of Texas desk chair. “I’m kind of the guy that really likes to do stuff behind the scenes.”

But Hancock, 45, has been putting himself out in front quite a bit. For the past five years, he’s been the program director of LifeWorks’ street outreach program and drop-in day shelter for homeless youth in the basement of the Congregational Church just west of the University of Texas-Austin campus.

LifeWorks is an Austin nonprofit that provides needy families and individuals with support services like affordable housing, education and counseling. The shelter is available three days a week for people younger than 23 who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Read more.