AUSTIN — Travis County has committed $500,000 to Austin’s Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, easing concerns about the center’s future after its pilot funding expired Sept. 30. The city is also working to provide another $700,000, according to information shared Oct. 6. The center, run by the African American Youth Harvest Foundation, provides free support to survivors of violent crime and their families. It opened in 2023 and served 925 crime survivors last year, providing more than 15,000 hours of trauma-informed therapy. The end of the pilot funding had left the center uncertain about how it would continue operating. Before the recent funding news, neither the city nor the county had pledged new money, leaving staff to rely on grants that can be less predictable. “It’s been rocky and really scary, to say the least,” said Elaine Lofton, the foundation’s chief programming officer, describing the uncertainty. She said she wanted to send well wishes to families who had been unsure whether services would continue, and emphasized the organization’s commitment to them. The county funding comes through Central Health dollars. Austin’s proposed $700,000 is still in progress; the available information does not specify when the city’s funding would be finalized or how long the new support would sustain services.