Our History
In 2017, while still a student at Baylor, Austin Bowyer volunteered at an after-school program in an under-resourced neighborhood. His eyes and heart were opened to the hope and joy the children displayed as they navigated the challenges of poverty. After moving to Dallas, he eventually left the corporate world to pursue that calling full time. In 2022, he co-founded the After-School Opportunity Lab (A-SOL) with Lorna Reddicks, launching a faith-based youth program. Around that time, Austin and his wife moved to South Dallas to live among and learn from the neighborhood they served. The more he experienced, the more urgent the calling became.
There was so much still unknown. But Austin simply said yes.
Meanwhile, in Chicago, By The Hand Club was saying its own, new yes. For 24 years, we’ve remained true to our God-given mission: to take kids by the hand and walk with them from kindergarten through college, loving and nurturing them—mind, body and soul. We have successfully stewarded, operated and expanded a thriving after-school program in some of Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods, across six individual sites, and serving more than 2,000 students. But a new question emerged.
Back in Texas, the statistics painted a harrowing picture. Although local schools were doing all they could, their reach and resources were considerably limited. With the support of community organizations and regular people saying yes, Austin was able to launch a small after-school program.
Unaware that By The Hand Club had decided to expand outside of Chicago, Austin flew to Chicago to meet with Donnita Travis, the founder and CEO of By The Hand. It quickly became clear what God had been patiently arranging.
By January 2024, it was decided that South Dallas was the right place and Austin was the right leader to adopt By The Hand Club’s program model and put it into action—believing that, together, more is possible.
Starting in September 2025, By The Hand Dallas will offer holistic care for the mind, body and soul. Providing things like reading and math tutoring, nutritious meals, prayer and Bible teaching, dental and eye care and so much more. It will start with 60 students in Kindergarten through third grade, adding a grade each year and other future locations to reach the goal of serving 1,000 kids in Dallas.