A New Way to Connect: How the Sunrise Hotline Pods Are Bridging Hope in Austin
- Meg Jang
- Oct 28
- 4 min read
Editor’s Note: This guest post is written by Meg Jang, whose service with the City of Austin and Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center highlights the compassion, innovation, and heart behind community-driven solutions.
About the Author
I have always known I wanted to do work protecting human rights and equity for people who have been historically and often intentionally underserved. For high school I attended an International Baccalaureate school, setting me up with the awareness and the skills to be a global citizen. I studied Criminal Justice in college, specializing in Criminology Theories, i.e. why individuals may commit crime. This taught me so much about not only crime and the criminal justice system, but about how our society operates as a whole and who it may leave behind. My most recent job with the environmental non-profit Clean Water Action has given me an incredible foundation on which to build. Every day I canvassed door-to-door in neighborhoods across Philadelphia, organizing around a specific issue or policy that we were fighting to pass through the local legislature. I gained experience on how to address environmental issues, taking the lead of affected community members to pass protective bills, and gaining momentum from others to get it done. In June, I went to the state capitol to lobby congress members in support of specific bills that our program team worked to introduce, and met with my own state representative to explain a bill and its importance. We live in a time of uncertainty, suffering, instability, inequality, othering, and fear. We also live in a time when distraction through technology has become more accessible than ever, and thus often becomes unavoidable. I feel like it is my responsibility to expand my awareness of others’ experiences to be a more competent global citizen. I want to engage with the world and learn from others to make informed decisions big and small. There is no question that service and community building are fundamental to this journey. I think that an understanding and investigation of why we are giving is also crucial. Engaging in service simply for our own benefit is clearly not the point. However, the truth is that I would benefit immensely from an AmeriCorps program. I feel it would give me so much, and I would be incredibly grateful to learn from and work alongside others in a community-inspired, compassion-powered team.
A New Way to Connect
When I joined the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, I quickly learned that access—real, practical access—to housing interventions was often the hardest part for the people we served. The Sunrise Hotline began as a small pilot program in January 2022, offering service providers and advocates a way to connect clients to housing support by phone or text. It became a cornerstone of our organization by that summer, providing low-barrier access for thousands who otherwise might not reach help.
By 2024, the Hotline had expanded to a full 8 AM–8 PM schedule, handling more than 44,000 calls. Every single call represented a person navigating immense challenges—someone who deserved to be seen, heard, and connected. Our next goal was simple but transformative: reduce barriers even further by creating a space where individuals without a phone or device could connect directly to our hotline team.
That vision became the Hotline Pod Project—two private pods where individuals experiencing homelessness could step inside, sit down, and video chat directly with a team member. Each pod included a mounted tablet, headphones, a desk, and a chair. For someone without access to a personal device, this pod could be the bridge between isolation and connection, between waiting and getting help right away.
🎥 Watch: Sunrise Hotline Overview
YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK64c3kdFGI
Building the Pods
We started with two models: one from PrivacyPods.ai and one from Amazon. Both had to fit within our grant budget of $5,000. After speaking with Tyler, the founder of PrivacyPods.ai, I placed the order in January 2025, and the pods arrived that spring. Our first assembly took place inside the Sunrise sanctuary, complete with missing tools, vague instructions, and a lot of determination.
By June, we began scouting for a placement location. Through our community partnerships, we connected with Bart and the Trinity Center. It turned out to be a perfect fit—the Center’s cooling hours during Austin’s hottest months offered both foot traffic and safety oversight. By July, we were ready to move the pod, thanks to incredible support from The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) movers.
Launch Day at the Trinity Center
On July 21, 2025, we officially launched our first Hotline Pod at the Trinity Center Austin. We decorated the space, added informational signs, and brought a floor fan to keep things cool. Our mascots for the day—Captain BlueBeard and his dog Cricket—brought smiles to everyone who stopped by.
It was a proud moment seeing something so tangible come from months of effort, collaboration, and vision. In the weeks following launch, the Center secured additional funding to extend their cooling operations, further amplifying access to essential services.
In the News
The project soon gained media attention. Local outlets like KXAN and KVUE featured the story, highlighting how technology, empathy, and community partnership are reshaping the way we connect people to care.
Looking Ahead
Pod B is already in the works. We’ve learned so much—build where it will stay, get skilled volunteers, and always refine the tech. Each pod is more than a structure—it’s a bridge to opportunity, a quiet place of dignity and connection. Looking ahead, we’re focused on expanding partnerships, replicating success, and keeping the mission clear: more pods, more access, more hope.
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