“We Take the Load”: A Conversation with Ebonie Trice on Dignity, Navigation, and Systemic Gaps
Written by Linda Fokam, PII Summer 2025 Intern
In July 2025, I sat down with Ebonie Trice, the founder of Mission Accomplished, an Austin-based nonprofit dedicated to equipping individuals and families with the support they need to build more stable, healthy, and fulfilling lives. The organization primarily focuses on serving individuals experiencing homelessness. One of their main initiatives, the Operation Clean Clothes (OCC) program, uses mobile laundry trailers, equipped with washers and dryers, to offer free laundry services, including pickup and drop-off, while also teaching clients how to care for their clothes.
Trice made it clear that this work is deeply rooted in her faith and upbringing. When she moved to Texas, she saw a problem that needed to be solved, and she acted.
“I always tell people I took the church on the road,” she shared. “Our church had a food pantry, a clothing closet, a shelter, everything. So, when I moved to Texas, I saw the need and God placed this on my heart.”
With my background in public health and English, and a passion for supporting communities marginalized and underrepresented in our current needs and healthcare system, I wanted to understand not only how Mission Accomplished supports people navigating overlapping barriers like unstable housing, caregiving stress, or reentry after incarceration, but also what Trice has seen and learned throughout her journey as a founder.
While the organization does not directly provide services like reentry support or mental health care, it refers clients to trusted agencies and community-based resources that do. Many of their clients come through referral systems from organizations like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and domestic violence shelters. These partners issue laundry vouchers to verify needs, allowing Mission Accomplished to focus on providing reliable, respectful service.
“Just because it’s free doesn’t mean people should have to beg for it,” Trice said. “We ask what kind of detergent they need. We treat their clothes like our own.”
At its core, Mission Accomplished centers something most people take for granted: clean laundry. For those facing instability, this basic need takes one burden off their shoulders and becomes a small but meaningful first step into support and healing.
“We started in 2014 with a simple goal,” she told me. “We have trailers with washers and dryers, and we go into the community. But what we’re really doing is helping people feel seen. Clean clothes matter. Hygiene matters. Dignity matters.”
Displacement in the Name of Tourism
Trice also highlighted how the city’s rapid growth and booming tourism industry often come at a direct cost to the unhoused community. During major events like South by Southwest (SXSW), she explained, unhoused communities are forcibly moved to make the city of Austin appear “cleaner” to visitors.
“People are literally picked up and displaced. The city expands shelter capacity temporarily, so it looks clean for two weeks. If [city officials] can find resources to displace people for tourism, why can’t they fund year-round support?”
These short-term clean-up efforts reveal a deeper truth which is that the city has the resources and infrastructure to respond to homelessness but lacks the will to do it. Temporary fixes aimed at appealing to tourism highlight how solutions exist, but sustained action is often deprioritized.
When Trauma, Incarceration, and Housing Instability Collide
Many of the people Trice serves have experienced overlapping traumas, including domestic violence, incarceration, and poverty. While Mission Accomplished does not provide direct clinical services, it refers clients to trauma-informed organizations that offer long-term, person-centered support.
“People think trauma has to be fresh, but it can show up years later, triggered by something like rain or loss,” she said. “We connect people to agencies that walk with them from cradle to collaborator, not just a one-time referral.”
This understanding is especially important for people returning from incarceration.
“We’ve had people dropped off downtown with nothing after 20 years in prison. No ID, no plan. That’s not supposed to happen,” she said. “People are institutionalized and then expected to navigate the ‘free world’ alone.”
Preserving Legacy Through Community
In addition to meeting immediate needs, Trice stays grounded in community by supporting long-term stability. She collaborates with local partners to offer resources that help people protect their futures.
“We work with local groups to preserve people’s legacies, helping them get wills, financial literacy, and life insurance,” she explained. “A lot of folks are living in their great-grandparents’ homes, paying taxes but not realizing the home isn’t in their name.”
This kind of support addresses generational wealth and ensures families can hold onto what they have built, even in the face of displacement and gentrification.
The Mental and Emotional Labor of Caregiving
Trice also spoke powerfully about her own experience as a caregiver and about the countless mothers she sees who are overlooked and unsupported.
“I send my daughter to camp, not just for her, but for me. I get to turn off mommy mode. Some mothers never get to do that.”
She highlighted organizations like Black Mama’s Village, which offer drop-in daycare, food pantries, and even nap rooms to relieve the constant pressures of motherhood, especially in communities where needing help is often stigmatized.
“People say, ‘Well, that’s your kid,’ like you’re not allowed to be tired. But being tired doesn’t mean you don’t love your child. That’s why mental health support matters, especially for moms. There’s so much stigma, especially in the Black community, around needing help.”
Bridging the Gaps: Redefining Equity-Centered Care
When I asked Trice what equity-centered needs navigation means to her, her answer was simple but profound:
“It’s not one-size-fits-all. It’s person by person. Everyone needs something different, even if they’re all asking for food or housing.”
She believes in asking direct, human-centered questions: Have you eaten today? Do you have insurance? Are you a veteran? And based on the answer, she and her team do not just refer people, but instead walk with them through their needs.
“We don’t do hand-offs. If we refer someone, we follow up. That’s the difference between making a connection and leaving someone behind.”
Still, she acknowledges the reality of service providers stating how many systems are fragmented, underfunded, and overwhelmed. Nonprofits often compete for funding instead of working together, despite serving the same people.
“We’re all helping the same people. If agencies actually worked together, we could help more people.”
She also spoke about the ripple effects of systemic breakdowns, from service centers with limited hours to the collapse of programs like AmeriCorps that once helped staff nonprofits like hers.
“There are so many disconnected services. You might spend six hours on buses and in lines just to be turned away. Some centers are only open from 10 to 1, and they’re serving 150 people a day. That’s not realistic.”
“They didn’t get paid. They were emancipated teenagers, what were they supposed to do?” she said, referring to the young AmeriCorps members who once supported her team. “And now we’re retraining people all the time. It slows everything down.”
This reflects a recurring challenge with many needs navigation models: they often focus on helping in the moment of referral, but overlook the long-term connection, sustained follow-up, and cross-agency collaboration that people truly need.
Final Thoughts
Mission Accomplished does not just clean clothes, it restores dignity, reduces harm, and reminds people they’re not alone. Through laundry, resource referrals, and consistent presence, Ebonie Trice is rewriting what care looks like in practice.
“We literally take the load, physically and emotionally. That’s what equity is about.”