Thank you Home Aid Austin and Hays Caldwell Women's Center for allowing me to paint this mural for the women and children seeking a safe space.

This project means more than I can articulate at this moment. Often when I describe Marla’s Place and the safe space it will provide to women escaping domestic abuse, I tear up knowing how difficult it is to find affordable housing with multiple children. I think of how often women stay in a horrible situations due to lack of basic needs such as affordable child care in order to work and a home large enough for their families. I think of how they will provide this. I can only hope that this mural brings them peace and joy in a world of violence they’re seeking refuge from.

I am truly honored to be a part of the HCWC Hays-Caldwell Women's Center's ongoing efforts to provide transitional housing for victims of domestic violence. Marla’s House was unveiled last week and will provide housing for up to 50 adults and children who are victims of abuse.

*THANK YOU @gena.destri for being my right hand woman on this job. I never would have pulled this off without your generosity of time and ability to climb ladders higher than my fears allow. I love you!

-Michi, April 4, 2022

Short video of my process on: INSTAGRAM

Dedication of Marla's Place , April 2022

Information about HCWC and Marla's Place: 

The Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center (HCWC) is a local non-profit who offers free and confidential services to adults, youth, and children who are victims of family violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and child abuse who live, work, or attend school in Hays and Caldwell Counties.  Services are available in English and Spanish.

Marla’s Place

The Marla R. Johnson Family Housing Center opened in 2022 and is named after long-time HCWC Executive Director Marla Johnson, whose vision was to build a safe haven for families to get a new start to life after escaping domestic violence in their home.

Affordable housing in Hays and Caldwell counties is incredibly difficult to find in an ideal situation; factor in the additional safety needs required for a victim of abuse, attempting to leave an abuser, and it becomes near impossible.

Often mothers are willing to return to a situation that is unsafe for themselves to ensure that their children have a roof over their heads.

Marla’s Place provides:

Thanks to the endless work of our HCWC staff, volunteers, Board of Directors, Transitional Housing Steering Committee, Community Partners, and the greater community as a whole, we are able to provide those in our community who have experienced violence and abuse affordable housing while they put the pieces of their lives back together and move forward with strength and hope

• An 18 unit housing complex, custom built for safety and security in a comfortable and relaxing environment — all connected to our main campus in San Marcos.

• Exemplary childcare and early education through on-site Early Head Start program provided by Community Action, Inc, the very first of it’s kind on a domestic violence campus.

• Free counseling and advocacy services with access to individual life planning and goal setting, job training, life skills classes, and access to continuing education through our existing community partnerships.